Topline
Spain’s regional soccer federation leaders are the latest to call for Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales to step down from his position, after he kissed a player after the Women’s World Cup final.
The 19 regional presidents of the groups that make up Spain’s soccer federation released a joint … [+] statement calling for President Luis Rubiales’ resignation on Monday. (Photo by Pablo Blazquez Dominguez/Getty Images)
Key Facts
The leaders of the regional soccer groups that make up Spain’s federation released a joint statement Monday in which they asked Rubiales to submit his resignation immediately and called the recent events “unacceptable behaviours that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football,” the Associated Press reported.
The statement also asked Rubiales’ interim replacement, Pedro Rocha, to take back the request for the Union of European Football Associations to get involved in the matter as that could lead to Spanish teams being removed from European competitions, ESPN reported.
Rubiales was suspended from his current role by FIFA, the world’s governing soccer body, on Saturday after he forcibly kissed Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s victory.
The statement from other presidents comes the same day Spanish prosecutors announced they opened a preliminary sex abuse investigation into Rubiales.
Key Background
Almost immediately after Rubiales kissed Hermoso following Spain’s World Cup win, he was met with condemnation from soccer players and other organizations—along with widespread outrage online. His suspension from FIFA lasts for 90 days, pending an investigation, and prevents him from any national or international soccer-related activities. There were rumors last week that Rubiales—who acknowledged the kiss was a “mistake”—was planning to step down, but he then spoke at an emergency general assembly of the federation and repeatedly said he would not resign. He has said he’s the victim of a witch hunt by “false feminists” and that he would “fight this to the end.” Hermoso has since broken her silence and said on social media she “felt vulnerable and (was) a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part.”
What To Watch For
In addition to Spain’s Prosecutors Office, multiple entities—such as the Spanish women’s professional football league and FIFA—have announced investigations into Rubiales behavior or lodged formal complaints.
Further Reading
AP NewsSpanish soccer federation leaders asks president Rubiales to resign after kissing player on the lipsMORE FROM FORBESProsecutors Open Sex Abuse Investigation Into Spanish Soccer Head Luis RubialesBy Ana FaguyCNNSpanish prosecutors open investigation into soccer chief Luis Rubiales over unwanted kiss | CNN
