World football governing body FIFA on Saturday suspended Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months as part of an investigation into allegations he gave a unwanted kiss on the lips to a player after Spain’s World Cup victory.
FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales two days ago following the incident with player Jenni Hermoso last Sunday in Sydney, Australia, which caused an outcry among players and fans. Rubiales’ suspension from his national and international activities takes effect immediately, she announced Saturday.
Rubiales said he would use the investigation to demonstrate his innocence.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued a statement in his favor, saying that Rubiales “will defend himself legally before the competent authorities, that he has full confidence in the FIFA authorities and reaffirms that, in this way, we gives him the opportunity to begin his mandate.” defense so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven. »
Jorge Vilda, the coach of the Spanish women’s soccer team, said Saturday that he regretted Rubiales’ “inappropriate behavior.”
Victor Francos, president of Spain’s National Sports Council, said the government supported FIFA’s decision.
Rubiales, 46, was defiant about the kiss – which was condemned as unwanted by Hermoso, her teammates and the Spanish government – arguing it was consensual.
Earlier on Saturday, the RFEF said it would support Rubiales as he sought to stay, but a federation spokesperson said after FIFA’s announcement: “We respect all of FIFA’s statements.”
Gary Lineker, a former England and Barcelona player, summed up much of the public reaction to FIFA’s decision, posting in Spanish on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Por fin! (Finally) ).”
Spain’s women’s world champion soccer team has said it will not play until the president of the national soccer federation resigns after non-consensually kissing player Jenni Hermoso.
Rubiales played mainly in the Spanish second division during a 12-year career. When he was elected head of the RFEF in 2018, he promised to modernize its structure, increase turnover and make the federation more transparent.
Spanish feminist groups organized protests in Madrid, Santander and Logrono on Saturday to demand his resignation.
At a federation meeting Friday in which he was expected to resign, Rubiales instead refused to resign, seeking to defend his behavior and calling the kiss “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual “.
Hermoso said she did not consent to the kiss and felt “vulnerable and under attack.”
In a statement hours before FIFA’s decision on Saturday, the federation said it would demonstrate that there had been lies about what happened by Hermoso or by people speaking on his behalf and that it “would initiate the corresponding legal actions” to defend Rubiales’ honor, without specifying what this was about. that would imply.
The Spanish government cannot fire Rubiales but has strongly denounced his actions. On Friday, she indicated that she was seeking to obtain her suspension through legal proceedings in a sports court.
“Impunity for macho acts is over. Rubiales cannot stay in power,” interim Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz wrote on social media on Friday.
Gender issues have become a major topic in Spain in recent years. Tens of thousands of women took part in street marches to protest sexual abuse and violence, and the socialist-led coalition government presided over legal reforms, notably around equal pay or the right to work. ‘abortion.
The players’ revolt now includes the technical staff
It was unclear how FIFA’s action would affect a players’ revolt against Rubiales that spread Saturday to the coaching staff.
In a joint statement sent Friday evening via their union FUTPRO, the 23 members of Spain’s cup-winning team, including Hermoso, along with dozens of other team members, said they would not play the international matches as long as Rubiales remains at the head of the federation.
In the same statement, Hermoso denied Rubiales’ claim that the kiss was consensual, writing: “I want to clarify that, as seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me and, of course, in no case. In this case, I sought to overthrow the president.
On Saturday evening, Vilda said in a statement to Spanish news agency EFE: “I am deeply sorry that the victory of the Spanish women’s football team has been compromised by the inappropriate behavior of our head coach so far, Luis Rubiales.
Earlier Saturday, 11 members of the women’s national team’s technical staff submitted their resignations to the RFEF in a statement in which they supported Hermoso and condemned Rubiales.
They complained of the “discomfort” of being summoned to the federation’s assembly on Friday and said that “several female members of the technical staff were forced to sit in the front row… to give the “the impression that they shared the opinion of the president of the RFEF”. double.”
The RFEF statement released Saturday was accompanied by four photos from last Sunday’s event that it said illustrated Rubiales’ claim that Hermoso lifted him into the air before the kiss.
Reuters could not immediately reach a FUTPRO official for comment.
At the federation’s emergency meeting Friday, Rubiales repeatedly said he would not resign and complained that “fake feminists” were “trying to kill me,” drawing applause from a mostly audience. male.
Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the men’s national team who could be seen Friday applauding Rubiales, issued a statement Saturday condemning “the actions of Luis Rubiales who did not respect the minimum protocol for such celebrations (of the World Cup) and are neither constructive nor appropriate for someone who represents all of Spanish football.
