World football governing body FIFA has provisionally suspended Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales as the messy fallout from the the Women’s World Cup final continues.
Key points:
- Spain player Jenni Hermoso was kissed on the lips by Spanish Football president Luis Rubiales after the World Cup final
- Hermoso released a statement saying the kiss was not consensual
- The Spanish Football Association said it had evidence president Rubiales had not lied and would take legal action
FIFA’s decision came as the Spanish Football Association (RFEF) said it will take legal action over comments made by player Jenni Hermoso in relation to Rubiales.
FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales on Thursday and announced on Saturday that it was provisionally suspending him from all football-related activities for an initial period of 90 days.
The disciplinary committee also ordered Rubiales and the RFEF to “refrain from contacting or attempting to contact” Hermoso.
Rubiales has faced a storm of criticism from home and abroad after he kissed Hermoso on the lips during the celebrations immediately following Spain’s 1-0 victory against England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final.
In a statement issued in the early hours of Saturday, the RFEF said it would take legal action to defend Rubiales and said it would show there have been lies about what happened, spread by Hermoso or people speaking for her.
The statement on the RFEF website did not say what the legal action would consist of.
Rubiales refused on Friday to resign as RFEF chief over his actions last Sunday in Sydney, seeking to defend his behaviour and calling the kiss “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual”.
Hermoso said she did not consent to the kiss and felt “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression”.
She has won the support of the Spanish government which, while it cannot fire Rubiales, has strongly denounced his actions and is moving to get him suspended using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal.
The Spain women’s team has also mutinied.
In a joint statement sent via their FUTPRO union on Friday evening, all 23 of the cup-winning squad including Hermoso, as well as 32 other squad members, said they would not play internationals while Rubiales remains head of the federation.
Male Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias has also said he will not play for the men’s national team again while Rubiales is in charge.
In the same statement, Hermoso denied Rubiales’ contention that the kiss he gave her was consensual, writing, “I want to clarify that, as was seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I seek to lift the president”.
In its statement early on Saturday, the federation said: “The RFEF and the President, given the seriousness of the content of the press release from the Futpro Union, will initiate the corresponding legal actions.”
“Where there is rule of law … opinions are counteracted with facts and evidence, and lies are rebutted in court.”
“The RFEF and the President will show each of the lies that are spread either by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player herself,” it said.
The statement was accompanied by four photos of the event last Sunday that it said illustrated Rubiales’ contention that Hermoso lifted him by the hips.
“The evidence is conclusive. The President has not lied,” the statement read.
Rubiales was widely expected to resign at an emergency meeting of the federation on Friday.
Instead he said repeatedly that he would not quit and complained that “false feminists” were “trying to kill me”.
Acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz called his speech on Friday “unacceptable”.
She wrote on social media: “The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office.”
Rubiales’ comments and supportive reaction from many in the audience at the federation meeting on Friday were widely scorned on social media.
Teammate Alexia Putellas wrote: “This is unacceptable. It is over. With you partner @Jennihermoso.” while golden ball winner Aitana Bonmatí wrote: “There are limits that cannot be crossed and we cannot tolerate this. We are with you partner.”
The losing England national team said “We all stand with you, @jennihermoso and all players of the Spanish team”.
Legendary Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas bemoaned the issue taking the shine of Spain’s historic victory.
“We should be these, [in the last] five days be talking about our girls! About the joy they gave us all! Of boasting a title that we didn’t have in women’s soccer,” he wrote.
The only relevant institution to remain silent has been European soccer body UEFA, for which Rubiales is a vice president.
FIFPRO urged UEFA to open its own disciplinary case.
Rubiales, who led the Spanish players union for eight years before taking over as federation president in 2018, is currently heading the UEFA-backed bid to host the men’s World Cup in 2030. Spain is bidding with neighbouring Portugal and Morocco, and also possibly Ukraine.
ABC/wires