By Ashok Ramsarup :: The world’s soccer body – the Federation of International Football Association (FIFA) – has provisionally suspended Royal Spanish Federation (RSF) President Luis Rubiales for 90 days with immediate effect.

FIFA found the 46-year-old Rubiales guilty of kissing Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso during the trophy presentation following the team’s victory in the recent 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup in Australia.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee provisionally suspended Rubiales from all football matters. The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio of Colombia, says in terms of the powers granted by article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), they decided to provisionally suspend Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level.

Palacio indicated that FIFA took this ultimate decision to uphold the fundamental rights and the protection of the Spanish national soccer team player Hermoso. FIFA Disciplinary Committee also issued two additional directives, ordering Rubiales to refrain through himself or a third party from contacting the professional player.

The decision adopted by the chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee had been communicated to Rubiales, the RSF, and the Unions of European Football Associations (UEFA) for due compliance.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has decided that it will not provide any further information on these disciplinary proceedings until a final decision has been taken. The Spanish government, the national team players, and soccer pundits condemned the unwanted behaviour. Rubiales maintained that it was consensual.

Rubiales refused to resign following his behaviour. Meanwhile, the Spanish government would be taking the issue to the sports tribunal after consultation with legal advisors.

FIFA made it clear that it reiterates the organisation’s absolute commitment to respect the integrity of all persons and therefore condemns with the utmost vigor any behavior to the contrary.