The world football governing body, FIFA, has slammed a three-year ban on former president of the Spanish Football Association, Luis Rubiales on Monday, October 30.
This means that Luis Rubiales who has been wrapped in legal battles after planting a kiss on the lips of Spanish forward, Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s triumph over England in the 2023 Women’s World Cup final, no longer has the right to participate in any form of professional football for three years.
Initially, the world football governing body, temporarily banned him from football for 90 days before he reigned as Spanish FA president in September.
After carrying out disciplinary procedures on Luis Rubiales, FIFA found the 46-year-old Spanish football administrator guilty of breaking Article 13 of its disciplinary code.
While Rubiales maintained that the kiss he planted on the female footballer’s lips during the 2023 Women’s World Cup medal presentation ceremony was “mutual” and “consensual”, Hermoso claimed the kiss was not consensual and filed a lawsuit which has been upgraded to a criminal suit.
While confirming Rubiales’ three-year ban from every football-related activities, FIFA said the case concerned “events that occurred during the Fifa Women’s World Cup final on August 20, 2023, for which Mr. Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 90 days”.
FIFA added: “By the relevant provisions of the Fifa disciplinary code, he has 10 days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the Fifa appeal committee.
“Fifa reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld.”
Even though Luis Rubiales has been banned by FIFA, the criminal suit against him in connection with the kissing scandal which has been filed in a national court in Madrid will continue.
During the hearing in September, the court ordered him not to go 200 meters close to Hermoso.