Published: 09:21, July 17, 2024
Spanish Football Federation president suspended for two years
By Xinhua
Spanish RFEF football federation president Pedro Rocha arrives at the Majadahonda court to testify as a witness in front of a judge investigating allegedly irregular contracts linked to the former federation president, in Madrid on April 12, 2024. (PHOTO / AFP)

MADRID - The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has been thrown into chaos just two days after the Spanish national team won the European Championship, with the news that the RFEF President, Pedro Rocha has been suspended for two years by the Spanish Court of Arbitration in Sport.

Rocha has also been fined 33,000 euros for what the court considers to be three "very serious infractions" carried out while he was the president of the RFEF Management Commission.

One of these breaches was his decision to sack Andreu Camps as the RFEF secretary-general, when he didn't have the capacity to do so, while the other infractions were his decision to end the contract of RFEF legal advisor, Tomas Gonzalez and presenting the RFEF as a private accusation in a corruption case involving his predecessor Luis Rubiales.

The RFEF now have two months to call elections to find a successor for Rocha, who was only elected president of the organizing body of Spanish football at the end of April.

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Vice-President Maria Angeles Garcia Chaves will replace Rocha on a temporary basis and will become the first woman to preside over the organization.