Sport Football Association boss Rubales
The highest Spanish sports authority requests a suspension
Status: 25.08.2023 | Reading time: 4 minutes
Player defends Spanish federation president after kiss at award ceremony
The kiss on the mouth of Jenni Hermoso by Spanish football association president Luis Rubiales at the award ceremony after the World Cup final against England caused outrage. Now the player has spoken up and defended Rubiales.
Luis Rubiales refuses to resign after the kiss scandal after the World Cup final and sees himself as a victim. The criticism of the head of the Spanish Football Association is sharp. Spain’s top sports authority now wants to act.
Luis Rubiales put his flat hand on his heart, his father choked back tears in the audience. “This is not about justice, but about a social execution,” complained the president of the Spanish football association RFEF.
In the much-discussed kiss scandal, Rubiales staged himself as a victim of a hunt, rhetorically skilfully he launched the counterattack for 30 minutes – he refused the expected resignation. When Rubiales finally stepped down from the podium on Friday before the association’s Extraordinary General Assembly, he received a standing ovation and warm applause. “I will not resign,” emphasized the 46-year-old energetically several times. “Will a kiss get me out of here by mutual consent? I will fight to the end.”
Spain’s soccer boss came under pressure last Sunday when he kissed the player Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth without being asked at the award ceremony for the Spanish soccer world champions in Australia. Shortly afterwards, Hermoso said in a video that she was uncomfortable with Rubiales’ behavior. “But what should I do,” she added. A storm of indignation broke out and many called for Rubiales’ resignation. Several media had unanimously reported on Thursday that the official would resign from his post.
After winning the World Cup final, Rubiales kissed the player Jenni Hermoso without being asked
Quelle: picture alliance/ZUMAPRESS.com/Noe Llamas
But, contrary to expectations, Rubiales did not do this – and received sharp criticism for it. The behavior of the head of the association was “too embarrassing”, wrote ex-national goalkeeper Iker Casillas on Portal X, formerly Twitter.
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Spanish politicians were also harsh on Rubiales. “Mr Rubiales still does not know where he is or what he has been doing. It’s not up to date. He must resign immediately and spare us further embarrassment,” said Acting Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz. It is now a matter of protecting the player, “to say no to machismo and to guarantee the right to sexual freedom,” wrote Equal Opportunities Minister Irene Montero on X.
Sports Court is scheduled to meet on Monday
The highest Spanish sports authority CSD wants to apply to the sports court Tad for the suspension of Rubiales after the refused resignation. The authority wants to initiate this on Friday, said CSD boss Víctor Francos at a press conference. “Today we will file a complaint with the Tad so that they can assess whether there has been serious misconduct,” Francos said. The authorities then want to assess whether a suspension of Rubiales is possible. Francos asked the Sports Court to meet on Monday.
Players’ union Fifpro called for “immediate disciplinary action” against Rubiales. “I have the feeling that many people have not yet understood what the members of the football associations have experienced when dealing with him as president of the RFEF,” said league boss Javier Tebas, who accused Rubiales of misogynist gestures, insults and blackmail, among other things . “We suffer from a lot and have denounced a lot. The list of women and men who have been harmed by Luis Rubiales in these years is too long and this has to stop,” Tebas said.
Rubiales grabbed the game Athenea del Castillo Beivide and shouldered her
Credit: AFP/DAVID GRAY
The incumbent Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez had described Rubiales’ behavior as “unacceptable” days ago, but at the same time admitted that the government had no direct influence on the RFEF.
Public pressure on Rubiales had risen sharply this week. “I sincerely apologize. I had lost control. The kiss was like for one of my children,” Rubiales said on Friday. But he didn’t really show himself to be insightful. “False feminism isn’t looking for the truth, it’s trying to put a medal on itself and believe that we’re moving forward. They don’t care about the people,” he said, lamenting a hunt. “Anyone who knows me knows that I will fight to the end.”
Fifa initiates proceedings against Rubiales
The world association FIFA had initiated disciplinary proceedings against the Spaniard on Thursday. The Disciplinary Committee is investigating a violation of Article 13 of the regulations, which is headed “Offending behavior and violations of the principles of fair play”. Rubiales is also Vice President of European Football Union Uefa.
Immediately after the incident, the official described the criticism of his behavior as “nonsense”. Rubiales later offered a half-hearted apology and, according to media reports, urged Hermoso to stand up for him. He kissed the 33-year-old “spontaneously” and “without any bad intentions or bad will,” he said. The RFEF released a statement quoting Hermoso. The kiss was by mutual consent, it said.
