How long will Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), be able to hang on to his job? On Saturday August 26, the six members of the management of the Spanish women’s football team announced that they had submitted their resignations, after the forced kiss of Luis Rubiales on the player Jenni Hermoso, leaving coach Jorge Vilda without assistants.
In a press release published on social networks, the signatories, including deputy Vilda Montse Tomé, affirm “to have taken the decision to present their resignation” to the RFEF and express “their firm and categorical condemnation of the behavior of Luis Rubiales at the regard to Jennifer Hermoso”.
Before them, in a statement to the EFE agency, Luis de la Fuente, the coach of the men’s team of Spain, had condemned “unreservedly the misplaced and inappropriate behavior of the president of the REF”, hoping that “the organs competent authorities will take the necessary decisions as soon as possible. »
Provisional suspension decided by FIFA
At the start of the afternoon, FIFA, which had already launched disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales, decided to suspend him provisionally. “We have decided today to temporarily suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activity at national and international level,” the world football governing body said in a statement, adding that the suspension would last for at least eighty -ten days, pending the progress of the procedures opened against the Spaniard.
The forced kiss of the president of the Federation is part of a heavy context within the Spanish selection. Players have been denouncing for months the methods deemed “dictatorial” by coach Jorge Vilda, who enjoyed the unwavering support of Mr. Rubiales. The president of the federation was also accused of having organized orgies with RFEF money in September 2022.
The Spanish federation attacks Jenni Hermoso
During the day, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) responded by calling the accusations against its president “lies”. “The RFEF and the president [Rubiales] will prove every lie published by anyone on behalf of the player, or, if so, by the player herself,” the body said in a statement. released overnight from Friday to Saturday, as Jennifer Hermoso said she was “victim of an assault” in a statement.
“At no time did I consent to this kiss [that Luis Rubiales] gave me and in no way did I seek to approach the president. I do not tolerate anyone questioning my word and even less inventing words that I did not say, ”assured Ms. Hermoso in a press release published on her social networks, thus contradicting the defense of Ms. Rubiales. “I felt vulnerable and victim of an assault, an impulsive and sexist act, out of place and without any consent on my part,” insisted the Spanish international.
Her teammates announced that they would refuse to play again for the selection under the current management of the federation. “After everything that happened during the Women’s Worlds medal presentation, all players signing this text will not honor a future call if the current leaders are maintained,” wrote the twenty-three world champions in a press release issued by the Futpro union.
“Rubiales cannot stay in his post”
In Spain, kissing someone without their consent is considered an offense under sexual assault law, so the case could go to court: Victor Francos, the president of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), a government body, promised that it would take action if the RFEF did not.
He assured that he would take the case to the Administrative Court for Sport, a Spanish court. The initiative was welcomed by Irene Montero, Minister for Equality, who wrote on X (formerly Twitter): “Faced [with Mr. Rubiales’ impunity], the prosecution and the CSD are acting to protect the player, to say no to machismo and to guarantee the right to sexual freedom. »
In addition, the Spanish public prosecutor’s office reported to Agence France-Presse that it had received four complaints against Mr. Rubiales, but as these were not filed by the victims themselves, there is a doubt concerning their admissibility.
On August 21, Mr. Rubiales brushed aside the controversy, calling those who criticized him “idiot”. A few hours later, he issued an apology, explaining that it was a gesture “without any bad intention”, adding: “If people were hurt, I must apologize, there is no nothing else to do. »
But other images came to aggravate the case of the president of the RFEF, in particular those where we see him, still Sunday, on the balcony of honor of the stadium, grabbing his genitals to celebrate the victory of the team, gesture for which he asked for forgiveness.