He got that job in May 2018 – and made headlines just weeks later.
Rubiales sacked Spain boss Julen Lopetegui just two days before their 2018 men’s World Cup opener after discovering he had agreed to take over as Real Madrid boss after the tournament.
“I know there’s going to be criticism whatever I do,” he said at the time.
“I’m sure this will, in time, make us stronger. I admire Julen very much, I respect him very much. He seems a top trainer and that makes it harder to make the decision.”
Spain, with Fernando Hierro in charge, lost to hosts Russia in the last 16.
At the time that was seen as a political power play, with newly-appointed Rubiales seizing the first opportunity to show that the federation would not be pushed around by anyone – including their most decorated club.
Rubiales would have repeated run-ins with La Liga boss Javier Tebas in another power struggle.
In August 2018, La Liga announced that a Spanish top-flight game would be played in the USA, later decided to be Girona v Barcelona in Miami, as part of a 15-year partnership.
But Rubiales said the deal was done without the permission of the RFEF and refused to authorise it. Barca withdrew the plans.
A year later a bid to have Villarreal v Atletico Madrid in Miami went to the courts, with La Liga losing.
Earlier this year they were locked in another dispute over the repeated racist abuse towards Real Madrid’s Vinicius Jr.
Tebas said in a social media message to the Brazil international: “Before you criticise and slander La Liga, you need to inform yourself properly. Neither Spain nor La Liga are racist, it is very unfair to say that.”
But Rubiales told his Brazilian counterpart Ednaldo Rodrigues “to ignore the irresponsible behaviour of the president of La Liga”.
He said “we have a serious behavioural problem, of education, of racism” which requires “a firm response from the federation, but they must let us apply it and so far it has not been the case”.
In February 2019, Rubiales joined Uefa’s executive committee and in May became a vice-president.
In 2021, he was acquitted in a legal case after architect Yasmina Eid-Macchet accused him of assault and non-payment.
Last year, Rubiales would say there was a “campaign to discredit me”, external and blamed the “mafia”, adding: “I cannot guarantee that one day they will put a bag of cocaine in the boot of my car.”
That came after hackers released stolen audio recordings from Rubiales and other officials, accusing them of a conflict of interest with then Barcelona defender Gerard Pique’s company in a deal to play the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia – something the Spanish FA chief denies.
Of the human rights controversies about hosting the games in Saudi Arabia, Rubiales said: “We are doing a lot here on an ethical level, helping women in football.
“The other questions are political questions, outside football. Some critics invent things, sitting at home, without knowing what really happens here. We can’t expect a society to change overnight – but girls can play football here in Saudi Arabia, and that is thanks to the Spanish federation.”