Pedro Rocha, new head of Spain’s football federation, indicted in corruption case

By Alyssa McMurtry

OVIEDO, Spain (AA) - A Madrid court indicted the head of Spain’s Royal Football Federation (RFEF) in a corruption investigation after hearing his testimony on Friday.

Pedro Rocha took the reins of Spain’s football federation after its former President Luis Rubiales, stepped down after kissing a female player on the lips, insisting she wanted it, going on a public tirade against feminism and then being ousted by FIFA.

Rubiales, who led the federation from 2018 to 2023, is also indicted in the same case as Rocha. The probe is examining suspected corruption and money laundering concerning the transfer of Spain’s Super Cup to Saudi Arabia and other schemes.

In late March, Spanish police raided the RFEF headquarters and Rubiales’ house, making several arrests.

Rocha was the acting president of the football federation until early April, when he announced he would run as a candidate to take on the role of president permanently.

Elections for the federation were set to be held on Monday. As the only candidate, Rocha was expected to get in.

But now, Spanish media like the sports journal AS report that he may drop out of the running to allow the federation to postpone the elections.

Rocha’s predecessor Rubiales could also face a two-and-a-half-year prison term for sexual assault and coercion for the unsolicited kiss and for pressuring the Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso to say the kiss was mutual.

The RFEF is the governing body of football in Spain, which manages the men's and women’s national teams as well as the country’s major cup tournaments.