Luis Rubiales has been in the news for all the wrong reasons for the past month due to his actions after the finals of the recently concluded FIFA Women’s World Cup where Spain defeated England to lift the World Cup for the first time. Rubiales during the medal distribution ceremony, kissed Spain’s Jenni Hermoso on the lips.
The RFEF president has since garnered widespread criticism from fans, critics, and fellow footballers for such an act is objectionable, especially on a global sporting platform like this. Rubiales has been widely condemned for the act as Spanish FA’s regional presidents have since been urging him to resign from his post of RFEF president.
FIFA and the Commission of Presidents of Regional and Territorial Federations of the RFEF have deemed his behavior as “unacceptable” while calling for his resignation and a “restructuring in strategic positions”. Spanish state prosecutors have formally lodged a criminal complaint against the former president of the Football Federation (RFEF), which will be heard by Judge Francisco de Jorge.
Though Rubiales has stated that the kiss was “consensual” and has refused to step down from his position, Hermoso has clarified that she did not consent to the kiss. Prosecutors submitted her initial complaint of sexual assault and added one of coercion, arguing that he had put pressure on her to come to his defense amid uproar in the days after the kiss.
As a mark of protest against the RFEF president, a huge number of fellow Spanish players have pledged their support to the Spanish star, 81 players have promised they won’t play for the Spanish National Team until Luis Rubiales is removed from his position.
As a result of the growing heat around the controversy and pressure from the football community, Rubiales eventually resigned from his post of RFRF President on Sunday, declaring that he has faith in the truth and will do everything in his power so that it prevails.
Rubiales has entered a Madrid court to answer a criminal complaint over kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso. Investigations are thus underway with the judge calling to see the moment of the kiss “from all angles”, based on which he will decide whether the case goes to trial.
A thorough examination of the series of videos from before, during, and after the ceremony will be done including the video of the celebration in the dressing room and from the team bus as the team left the stadium in Sydney.
