Football Luis Rubiales, disqualified for three years by FIFA after his kiss with Jenni Hermoso Football Luis Rubiales, the end of a mandate full of scandals
The FIFA Disciplinary Commission has made public this Wednesday the report in which it explains the reasons for suspending all activities related to football at national and international level for three years. Luis Rubialesformer president of the Spanish Football Federation, and emphasizes that “she was tempted to impose more severe sanctions.”
This commission thus resolved at the end of October the disciplinary file opened against Rubiales on August 24 after the events that occurred after the World Cup final women’s competition from Australia and New Zealand, in which Spain became champion after beating England. The former Spanish president He touched his genitals in the box and later, during the medal presentation, he kissed the player on the mouth Jennifer Hermoso on the podium.
At first, Rubiales was provisionally suspended for a period of 90 days and on October 30 he received notification of the Disciplinary Commission’s decision to sanction him for three years.
When referring to the non-consensual kiss with Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup final, FIFA points out that “the reported He did not apologize to the player, neither publicly nor, at least, privately”; and that “she persisted in her denial (publicly and in the context of this procedure), maintaining (against the player’s unequivocal statement) that the kiss was consensual.”
He adds that Rubiales “publicly insulted all those who saw this incident differently,” said it was “a kiss between two friends celebrating something,” and called them “idiots and stupid.”
It also underlines that “the accused used his position as president of the RFEF in an aggressive and totally inappropriate manner to publish – on behalf of the RFEF – statements using quotes from the player that were not written or authorized by herand issued an official statement (which was later deleted) threatening the player (among others) with legal action.”
Furthermore, the Commission points out that Rubiales used the general assembly of the RFEF “as a forum to defend himself and distort the reality of the kiss in his favor.”
“The defendant and/or his entourage pressured and/or coerced (emotionally) to the player on numerous occasions so that she would speak and take a position in her favor.” Furthermore, “she has been the subject of criminal proceedings in Spain as a result of the kiss.”
Likewise, the Commission stresses that “it could not ignore the impact of the defendants’ actions on the player’s mental health and on her career, the latter having stressed that it is still felt ‘really humiliated for everything that has happened and for the media exposure and public scrutiny to which she and her family have been subjected.'”
The Commission recalls that Hermoso “has been in contact with the psychologists of the Pachuca Club, as well as with a psychologist he trusts.”
The Commission then underlines that, “given that the incidents occurred in the context of the final match of the most prestigious women’s competition, the above-described conduct of the respondent has unfortunately met with important international media echo“.
“In effect, instead of focusing on the international success of the World Cup or the first title of the Spanish team in said competition, the focus of attention was on the actions of the defendant,” he states.
All of this, he adds, motivated “a series of incidents that show behavior that is clearly incompatible with each and every one of the values that FIFA defends and that football should encompass. With this behavior, the defendant unfortunately ruined the World Cup experience for many. , starting with the player and her teammates who had just become world champions.
“The Commission is therefore firmly convinced that the respondent, by his behaviour, brought the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute worldwide. As such, the sanctions imposed on him reflect all the (aggravating) circumstances before mentioned,” he says.
“In light of the above and after carefully considering all of the evidence at its disposal, the Commission determined that a ban on participation in any football-related activity was the most appropriate and proportionate measure with which to sanction the respondent in light of the infractions committed,” he explains.
In particular, “taking into account the undeniable media impact of the defendant’s conduct and its repercussions on the reputation of football and FIFA, but also, and more importantly, on the reputation of the player.”
Due to the player’s mental state, the Commission considers that “a three-year sanction was justified in the present circumstances“.
The Commission also reveals that “it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions in view of the seriousness and seriousness of the incidents in question, as well as the profound negative impact that the actions had on the image of FIFA, women’s football and the women’s sport in general”.
It also understands that, even with strong doubts, the Disciplinary Commission “was convinced that the imposition of said measure (three years) would have the necessary deterrent effect on the defendant taking into account his conduct, but also the category of the competition in the infractions had occurred and the important repercussions of the same”.
“In fact, the Committee was hopeful that said sanction, as mentioned above, would have the necessary deterrent effect on the respondent to prevent similar conduct from occurring in the future,” he underlines.
“Inappropriate” gestures towards English players
The former president of Spanish football was also “aggressive” after the final of the Women’s World Cup and had “inappropriate” gestures towards the English players, according to the president of that country’s federation, Debbie Hewitt.
The leader not only kissed Jenni Hermoso, “forcibly on the mouth”, according to the president of English football (FA), but also had inappropriate behavior with some English internationals.
According to FIFA, Hewitt stated that Rubiales “touched and caressed the face of English player Laura Coombs”which the FA president considered “a bit strange.”
“He then forcibly kissed England player Lucy Bronze on her face,” he added. Likewise, they point out that “he enthusiastically hugged and forcibly kissed other players, on their cheeks, holding their heads and inappropriately hitting some parts of their body,” Hewitt explained, in another testimony established jointly with the New Zealand federation. .
In his response, Rubiales called it “disgusting” that Hewitt described him as “some kind of dirty guy” and accused her of “blatant lies” and “speaking ignorantly.”
Regarding Coombs, Rubiales said that he tried to “comfort her” because she had been injured in the final, which ended with a bandage on her head and stitches.
The president of the FA also highlighted the “unpleasant and aggressive” tone of the Spaniard, who was “dissatisfied” with the place awarded to him by FIFA before the medal ceremony.
2023-12-07 13:13:59
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