Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar, better known as Luis Rubiales, is a retired Spanish football player and former football official.
He had a successful career as a defender, participating in 53 matches in the prestigious La Liga over a span of three seasons.
Rubiales held the esteemed position of president in the Royal Spanish Football Federation and served as one of UEFA’s vice-presidents.
In this influential role, he was responsible for supervising and managing the governance and administration of Spanish football at the highest echelons.
REAL FACTS ABOUT LUIS RUBIALES
FULL NAME: Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar
BETTER KNOWN AS: Luis Rubiales
DATE OF BIRTH: August 23, 1977
PLACE OF BIRTH: Las Palmas, Spain
NATIONALITY: Spanish
OCCUPATION: Former President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation
EARLY LIFE AND EDUCATION
Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar, born on August 23, 1977, in Las Palmas, Spain, was brought up by his parents, Luis Manuel Rubiales López, a primary school teacher, and Ángeles Béjar, a hairdresser.
Although it is not known if he had any siblings, Rubiales grew up in Motril in the Province of Granada.
In 2014, Rubiales enrolled at CEU Cardinal Herrera University, a private university located in Alfara del Patriarca, Spain.
He later pursued his studies at Camilo Jose Cela University, another private university situated in Villanueva de la Cañada, Spain. Rubiales identifies as Spanish and follows Christianity as his religion.
CAREER
During his professional career, Rubiales played as a defender, making more than 50 appearances in La Liga for Levante.
He also played in the Segunda División for various Spanish clubs and briefly for Hamilton Academical in Scotland.
In March 2010, Rubiales was elected as the president of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE), a position he held until November 2017.
He resigned from this role with the intention of running for office at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
In 2018, Rubiales was chosen as the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, taking charge of both the men’s and women’s national teams, as well as the Spanish football leagues. Additionally, he held the position of a Vice President in UEFA.
However, in September 2023, Rubiales made the decision to step down from his role as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation due to a scandal that occurred during the Women’s World Cup final.
During the event, he kissed player Jennifer Hermoso without her consent. Consequently, he received a three-year ban from all football-related activities.
PERSONAL LIFE
Before this, Rubiales was married to a lawyer named Manuela Delicado Vega. They tied the knot in 2000 and were blessed with three daughters: Lucía, Ana, and Elena.
Unfortunately, their relationship encountered difficulties, leading to their separation and eventual divorce in 2015. Presently, Rubiales is believed to be single.
