The Court of Arbitration for Sport has decided to suspend the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Pedro Rocha, for two years and imposes a fine of 33,000 euros.
The CAS agrees to impose a sanction classified as very serious under the Sports Law for exceeding his functions as head of the Management Committee and prohibits him from holding any type of position in a sports federation in Spain.
One of the key elements in the CAS' decision is the dismissal of the former general secretary of the RFEF, Andreu Camps, as it was deemed a decision that was beyond his duties.
It is worth noting that Rocha was facing a request for disqualification of six years as stated in the initial proposal by the instructor. The CAS also reproaches Rocha for the decision, which it also considers irregular, to terminate the contract with the law firm of Tomás González Cueto, GC Legal.
Following Pedro Rocha's disqualification, the reins of the RFEF are taken over by vice president María Ángeles García Chaves, Yaye, who becomes the first woman to preside over the Federation, at least for a few months. A former footballer, coach, and the first woman in history to become a member of the Delegate Commission of the Spanish Football Federation in September 2020, representing non-professional football club players.
Rocha went from witness to investigated in this procedure during his testimony on April 12, the same day he was proclaimed president of the RFEF as the sole candidate, with 107 out of 138 possible endorsements.
Three days later, the CAS opened proceedings against him, along with the other members of the management committee who have not been sanctioned, for possible very serious infractions by exceeding their functions as president of the Management Committee, as well as the other members.
The CAS' resolution is final in administrative terms, and an administrative contentious appeal can be filed against it within two months of its notification.
Pedro Rocha, former president of the Extremadura Football Federation, was the economic vice president of the RFEF from 2020 until he temporarily replaced Luis Rubiales as president of the organization last August, when Rubiales was temporarily suspended by FIFA for his behavior in the Women's World Cup final and the non-consensual kiss with Jenni Hermoso, for which he is also facing trial, as well as for coercion towards her.