Spanish FA president suspended days after attending Euro final vs England

Spanish FA president Pedro Rocha has been hit with a two-year suspension from football for a “very serious infringement” of his authority.

Rocha only claimed the role in April after being hand-picked by Luis Rubiales. The latter resigned in September following his kiss on Spain star Jenni Hermoso after their Women’s World Cup win.

Rocha was originally acting as the nation’s interim president following the scandal before moving into the job full time. A statement from the Spanish FA (RFEF) at the time read: “Pedro Rocha has today been proclaimed the new president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, after having received the support of the majority of the assembly members of this institution that governs Spanish football.

“The process followed the procedure agreed by the Electoral Commission, which met this morning, and the timetable that was established for these elections.”

Rocha’s only remit in the role was to run the elections to find a new president. But he made decisions outside of his power – the call to dismiss former general secretary Andreu Camps, one of those under severe scrutiny.

And Rocha has now been suspended by Spain’s superior sports court (TAD) for overstepping the remit of what his powers would entitle him to do. He has also been hit with two fines €16,527.84 for two further infringements.

The TAD deemed that the dismissal of Camps was an ‘abuse of his authority’ as the RFEF’s management committee was not consulted prior to the decision being made. Rocha also failed to consult the committee on two further calls, leading to the two additional fines.

Rocha has already been under investigation for alleged corruption alongside disgraced former president Rubiales. He was called as a witness in court in April and said that he had “no knowledge nor, therefore, any responsibility for the facts that are being investigated”

The latest punishment comes just days after Spain lifted the Euro 2024 title against England, a game that Rocha attended. Goals from Nico Williams and Mikel Oyarzabal secured the nation their fourth European crown in Germany on Sunday.

Spain are set to host the 2030 World Cup alongside Portugal and Mexico. Uruguay, Argentina and Paraguay will also host games as a commemoration of the first-ever World Cup.

Speaking last October, FIFA president Gianni Infantino said: “Two continents – Africa and Europe – united not only in a celebration of football but also in providing unique social and cultural cohesion. What a great message of peace, tolerance and inclusion.

“In 2030, we will have a unique global footprint, three continents – Africa, Europe and South America – six countries – Argentina, Morocco, Paraguay, Portugal, Spain and Uruguay – welcoming and uniting the world while celebrating together the beautiful game, the centenary and the FIFA World Cup.”

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