Spanish football federation asks UEFA for suspension amid govt demands to sack Luis Rubiales

The Spanish football federation has asked UEFA, the European football governing body to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference over demands to remove its beleaguered president Luis Rubiales from office.

The move was widely seen as an attempt to silence some of Rubiales' critics, including government ministers who have asked for his removal, as such a suspension would ban Spanish teams from competitions like the Champions League and could sway public opinion in favour of letting him keep his job.

Football's governing bodies have long-standing rules barring national governments from interfering with the running of the domestic soccer federations.

However, UEFA will not comply with the Spanish federation's request for a sanction, a person familiar with the issue told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision-making process was confidential.