Spanish FA Chiefs Make U-Turn, Demand Kiss-row Boss, Luis Rubiales Quits
- Shamed-kiss boss faces ‘sexual-assault’ probe, 15-year ban from football
- Protesters storm streets to support Spain star Jenni Hermoso
- Rubiales’ mother on hunger strike over “inhuman hunt’ against him
BY VICTOR OSOWOCHI – In a dramatic twist of events, Spanish football chiefs are finally demanding that kiss-row President Luis Rubiales quit his job as head of the country’s Football Association (RFEF).
Increasingly isolated in World Cup kiss row after an urgent meeting between chiefs, the Embattled president, who is now facing a “sexual assault” probe, has refused to step down amid the furore over kissing Spanish World Cup-winning star Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the trophy presentation.
This is as hundreds of people protested and marched on Sunday in Madrid, the Spanish capital against Rubiales as the fallout from his kissing scandal at the Women’s World Cup co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand continues.
The Protesters in Madrid are marching in support of Jenni Hermoso nine days after Rubiales kissed the Spain attacker without consent during the medal ceremony following the Women’s World Cup final.
Protestors at the march, organised by the Comision 8M Feminist Movement, carried banners bearing slogans including “Rubiales resign”, “Sexists and gentlemen, sports are for everyone” and “Out with macho federations.”
Rubiales has been suspended for 90 days by FIFA after he refused to resign during an extraordinary press conference on Friday.
The Spanish government has asked Spain’s Sports Tribunal (TAD) to suspend Rubiales, while the RFEF threatened Hermoso with legal action after Rubiales claimed that she initiated the kiss.
On Monday it emerged that Rubiales’ mother had begun a hunger strike at a church in Motril because of what she described as an “inhuman hunt’ against her son.
The Spanish Women’s National Team Coach, Jorge Vilda eventually criticised the behaviour of close friend Rubiales, but only after his entire coaching staff had resigned with 81 players ruling themselves out of representing Spain until necessary changes are effected.
The events of the past week have been dubbed Spain’s MeToo movement, with many sensing an opportunity to rid the country’s sporting and public institutions of institutional sexism and machoism.
Meanwhile, pressure continues to mount on Rubiales, who had announced at the end of last week he would stay in his post as Spain’s regional football presidents have announced after a crisis meeting on Monday that Rubiales must go because he has “seriously damaged the image” of the sport in Spain with his “unacceptable behaviour”.
Just three days earlier, the 46-year-old won a standing ovation from part of the Spanish FA but the country’s football big-wigs appear to have had a change of heart as pressure on Rubiales soars.
However, rising from a meeting that lasted about five hours on Monday, the Spanish FA’s regional presidents concluded that Rubiales should “immediately resign”.
In a lengthy statement they said: “After the latest events and the unacceptable behaviors that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Mr. Luis Rubiales immediately present his resignation as president of the RFEF.”
It follows a growing range of protests from across Spain and the football world against Rubiales. Protestors held signs reading ‘Rubiales and macho mafia out’ and ‘Feminist and anticapitalist, free and combative’
Rubiales drew negative attention and publicity to himself when was pictured appearing to pull Hermoso in at the final ceremony after Spain beat England 1-0 in the women’s World Cup final last week, before embracing and kissing her. – With agency reports