Just days after the Spanish government began legal proceedings seeking to suspend football federation president Luis Rubiales, FIFA has provisionally suspended him from “all football-related activities”.
The discipline comes a week after Rubiales was internationally condemned for kissing Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team's championship win over England.
Rubiales refused to stand down over the incident, which occurred at the medal ceremony last Sunday. It now seems he will have no choice after FIFA dropped the hammer on Saturday morning.
Hermoso said the kiss was unwarranted and that she and the entire World Cup winning team will refuse to play while Rubiales remains president. It seemed only a matter of time before the suspension was handed down.
“The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio (Colombia), in use of the powers granted by article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), has decided today to provisionally suspend Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level,” FIFA said in a press release.
“This suspension, which will be effective as of today, is for an initial period of 90 days, pending the disciplinary proceedings opened against Mr. Luis Rubiales on Thursday, August 24.”
Rubiales has also been ordered to refrain from contacting Hermoso, or people close to her, in order to preserve her fundamental rights. The decision was adopted by the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee on Saturday and has been communicated to Rubiales.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will not provide any further information on these disciplinary proceedings until a final decision has been taken,” the statement continued. “FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respect the integrity of all persons and therefore condemns with the utmost vigour any behaviour to the contrary.”
The Spanish football federation has said that it will take legal action to defend Rubiales, who has said that the kiss was consensual. He has threatened legal action against Hermoso and others.
FIFA said that further information will not be provided until disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales had been concluded. But, at least for the next 90 days, he will no longer be a part of soccer in Spain.