The Administrative Court of Sports (TAD) has issued a proposed resolution to the file opened by the now president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Pedro Rocha, in which it proposes his disqualification for six years. Two years for each of the three facts proven and considered a very serious offense. The TAD understands that Rocha committed abuse of authority by making a series of decisions as president of the Management Commission of the federation, after the resignation of Luis Rubiales, which did not correspond to him due to his interim status. These proven facts are: dismissing the general secretary of the RFEF, Andreu Camps; terminate the contract with GC Legal, the law firm of Tomás González Cueto, then right-hand man of former president Luis Rubiales; and appear as a private accusation in the Majadahonda court in the case derived from the so-called Operation Brodie – of corruption in business, unfair administration and membership in a criminal organization –, which also affects Rocha himself, accused along with Rubiales and González Cueto.
The file was born from a complaint by Miguel Galán, president of the Cenafe coaching school, the same one who brought down the two previous presidents, Rubiales and, before, Ángel María Villar. Galán accused him of failing to comply with the electoral regulations or agreements of the general assembly, as well as of making decisions that were outside his competence, as has been seen. The TAD appreciates that some of the decisions made by Rocha were made in a personal capacity and without going through the approval of the federation assembly. That is the main reason on which the sanction proposal is based.
The resolution must be notified to the interested party, “who is granted a hearing period of ten days to proceed with the examination of the file, formulate allegations and present documents and information that are deemed relevant,” the note reports. After that period, the members of the TAD itself will vote on the proposal.
The TAD statement was made public this Friday, just one day after Rocha was seen in the authorities’ box at the Veltins-Arena, Schalke’s stadium, next to King Felipe VI, who attended Gelsenkirchen to see the second game of the Spanish team in the Euro Cup (1-0 against Italy). His presence drew attention to his compromised situation at the head of a federation that has been intervened in practice by the Higher Sports Council. The government body, chaired by José Manuel Rodríguez Uribes, promoted the creation of the Supervision, Normalization and Representation Commission, chaired by a man of consensus like Vicente Del Bosque and whose purpose is none other than to protect an institution in question from the resignation of Rubiales and the subsequent rise to power of Rocha. The man from Extremadura was named president, as the winner of an election held in strange circumstances – the threat of disqualification already weighed on him – on April 26. And as president, recognized and supported by UEFA, he occupied a preferential position in the box, despite the fact that Rodríguez Uribes, representing the CSD, accompanied His Majesty this Thursday as minister of the day.
The CSD explains that in the group stage of the Euro Cup, the Council’s representation work is being carried out through different senior officials. The general director of Sports, Fernando Molinero, attended the first game; and also Elena Martínez Ruiz, as a member of the Commission chaired by Vicente del Bosque. The latter will attend the match against Albania, the third and last of the group stage for Spain.
Thus, it is most likely that Rocha will not be seen again in the authorities’ box of any other Spanish match in this Euro Cup.
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