FIFA suspends Spanish Football Federation president over controversy over kissing women’s team player

“Today we have decided to temporarily suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level,” world football’s governing body said in a statement, explaining that the suspension will initially last for 90 days. . and “a transparent regulatory process is implemented.”

FIFA Rubiales and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) banned him from contacting the player and his relatives..

“The RFEF and Mr. President will prove each and every falsehood spread by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player himself,” the agency said in a statement released Friday night into Saturday. Even before Rubiales’ suspension became known and after Hermoso said he felt “the victim of the attack.”

The RFEF indicated in the statement that it would initiate “relevant legal proceedings” to protect its president’s version. He refused to resign on FridayAnd he considered it a “consensual” gesture.

Spain international Jenni Hermoso, 33, admitted on Friday afternoon that she felt “vulnerable and aggressive” when she received a kiss from Luis Rubiales on Sunday after the World Cup final. .

A few hours ago, Hermoso, in his first statement to the FUTPRO union, assured that he did not consent to the kiss “at any time”, dispelling the defense of Luis Rubiales.

In its statement, the federation quotes FUTPRO, in which Hermoso affirms: “In no case am I trying to elevate the president.”

The RFEF defended its version with its statement with four photographs, saying it was the player who lifted the president off the ground, not the other way around.

“Mr. President’s feet are clearly and visibly lifted off the ground as a result of the action of the player’s power,” the RFEF explained.

The federation also responded to international players It announced on Friday that it will not play with the national team again Under the guidance of the current leaders of the RFEF.

In its statement, the RFEF recalls that “participation in the election is the duty of all members of the federation if they are invited to do so.”

Unexpectedly and despite pressure, Spanish soccer’s top executive refused to tender his resignation on Friday before his confederation’s extraordinary general assembly in Las Rosas, on the outskirts of Madrid.

At the position since 2018, Rubiales, a former professional defender, launched a counterattack, saying the kiss was “reciprocal” and “consensual” and that the player had permission to do so while attacking “false feminism”.

The case, dubbed the ‘#MeToo of Spanish football’, has sparked an avalanche of criticism against Luis Rubiales in the world of politics and sport.

The Spanish government itself announced measures against him. On Friday, the Secretary of State for Sports, Victor Francos, announced that he would file an evidentiary complaint before the TAD (Sports Administrative Court) so that it could assess “whether what was committed was a more serious offence”.

This Saturday, Sports Minister Miquel Iceta said in an interview with El País newspaper that if TAD accepts the administration’s complaint, “we will immediately suspend the activities of the president of the federation.”

“Government is not going to sit idly by in the face of what we consider to be an unacceptable approach that harms the rights of footballers and tarnishes the reputation of our sport nationally and internationally,” Iceta added.

Hermoso, a Pachuca player, received support from the Mexican Women’s Soccer League and its clubs in the past few hours.

“At the Women’s MX League we protect and defend the rights of our players, managers and staff; we will not tolerate any act that violates their integrity,” the organization said.

“Jenny has all the institutional, emotional and personal support of Grupo Pachuca at this very delicate moment in her life,” added Pachuca’s ‘Tusas’.

Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol expressed his “support” for Hermoso on social network X, formerly known as Twitter.

The case tarnishes the image of Spanish sport, while the country joins Portugal and Morocco as a candidate to host the 2030 men’s soccer World Cup, which is scheduled for late next year.