Gerard Piqué’s six-match ban and two-month suspension have been upheld by the Court of Arbitration for Sport after the Andorra shareholder’s confrontation with match officials following May’s game against Albacete.
The ruling leaves in place the disciplinary measures first imposed by the Spanish Football Federation and later maintained on appeal. The case centred on events in the tunnel area after the match, when Piqué was sanctioned for his conduct towards the refereeing team.
Quick facts
- Gerard Piqué: six-match ban and two-month disqualification upheld.
- Andorra must partially close its stadium for two matches, affecting the guests’ section and directors’ box.
- Sporting director Jaume Nogués received six matches and two months’ disqualification.
- Delegate Christian Lanzarote was given a three-match ban and two-month suspension.
- President Ferran Vilaseca’s four-month sanction was overturned.
A key question before the court was whether federation disciplinary bodies had jurisdiction over Piqué, who holds no formal executive post at Andorra. The tribunal concluded that he could nevertheless be treated as a “de facto administrator or director”.
Its assessment pointed to his involvement in the club through Kosmos, links to the board, regular accreditation as a staff member, participation in club decisions and his actions during the incident while representing Andorra’s interests.
The wider punishment from the Albacete match also remains largely intact. Nogués was penalised for confronting the officials, while Lanzarote received a shorter match ban but the same two-month period of disqualification for similar behaviour.
Andorra will additionally serve a partial stadium closure across two games. The restriction applies to the visiting supporters’ area and the directors’ seating section, adding a matchday consequence to the individual sanctions.
Vilaseca is the sole figure to obtain relief from the ruling. His four-month ban, linked to an incident in the car park involving the delegates’ team, was cancelled because the regulations had been applied incorrectly: the conduct was judged to have remained at the level of an attempted offence.
