Spain’s government began a move to oust suspended soccer chief Luis Rubiales, who ended a week of silence on Friday by insisting he was the victim of a smear campaign.
Rubiales has come in for a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation for his behaviour during and after Spain’s recent Women’s World Cup triumph in Sydney. He kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent and grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture.
On Friday, a Spanish government legal panel handling sports issues opened a formal case against Rubiales – president of the Spanish Football Federation and a vice president of UEFA – over his conduct that was televised globally, making him a national embarrassment.
Spain is hoping to remove him independently of a FIFA process that has already suspended him provisionally. The government panel will decide if Rubiales abused his authority by kissing Hermoso or damaged the image and reputation of Spain at a sporting event, as the government claims. He could be banned from office for two years.
Following the decision by the panel, Rubiales made his first public statement since refusing to step down a week ago and claiming he was a victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
“I committed some evident mistakes, for which I sincerely repent,” Rubiales said on Friday. He insisted the kiss with Hermoso was “mutual, consensual and occurred in a moment of euphoria” – a characterisation that the player firmly denies.
He added he participated in FIFA’s investigation as well as the federation’s own internal probe.
“During all this time I have suffered an unprecedented lynching by news outlets and politicians that has completely marginalised me. Not just in Spain but internationally,” he said in his statement published on X, formerly known as Twitter.
The decision by the panel, however, to consider Rubiales’ acts as allegedly “serious” as opposed to “very serious” dealt a setback to the government. If they had been deemed “very serious” charges, the government could have moved to declare him suspended from office until the panel rules on his case.
Iceta said that while the government cannot directly suspend Rubiales while awaiting the outcome of his case before the panel, as was its intention, it will ask the legal panel to consider suspending him provisionally anyway.
FIFA has already suspended Rubiales for 90 days while it carries out its disciplinary case, so the Spanish decision will have little immediate effect. The panel decision does put more pressure on Rubiales as his few original supporters try to distance themselves from him.
In a statement last Saturday, Hermoso said she considered herself the victim of abuse of power and accused the federation of trying to pressure her into supporting Rubiales.
The federation initially hit back by saying she was lying and it would take legal action against her. But following the FIFA suspension, the federation on Monday urged Rubiales to step down.
Meanwhile, support for Hermoso from Spanish and international officials, athletes and celebrities was overwhelming.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
https://youtu.be/Xw1FffaEGCM?si=GG-3DBhs_RYCs0OP Very funny and qiite topical. #1: watch for the initial greeting going awry #2: watch for Roz Hammond adks Shaun Micallef if he kisses Francis Greenslade on the lips
sheek
Roar Guru
Chris1 - exactly.
chris1
Roar Rookie
What's that George Costanza line about lying... "It's not an assault if you don't believe it's an assault". I think that's how the Rubiales and Trump's of the world operate.
Grem
Roar Rookie
Well written Sheek. It seems so simple to the average, decent person. If you do something/say something and many people indicate you’ve done/said the wrong thing then you probably have. It’s just like a corrupt politician trying to hang onto his/her position. When he/she finally goes there will be a huge sigh of relief and he will be gone.
sheek
Roar Guru
Grem, One of the sad things in life is that very few people are willing to stand by their principles. When push comes to shove, they fold. Rubiales knows this, & is staring down his opponents to see who blinks first. Already, his fellow RFEF members have rolled around like drunken sailors, swaying from one side to another, to see which way the wind of public opinion is blowing. Many of the RFEF don’t know if they’re Arthur or Martha, or perhaps Luis or Louisa! The fact they’re waiting to see which way the public wind blows tells you they don’t have much strong personal values, or a moral compass, to begin with. They need public opinion to tell them the right thing to do. Also, 81 leading players, including the entire 23 person WWC winning squad, have said they will not play for Spain until Rubiales is removed. How long are they willing to wait for this to happen? Remember, 15 leading players refused to be selected for the WWC unless coach Jorge Vilda was removed. When he wasn’t, 8 of the squad capitulated, but only 3 of them made the final squad. The resolve of these young women will be tested. Does Spain as a country have the moral fortitude to do the right thing by these women, or not. Right now, the jury appears to be out, or worse, is struggling with the right thing to do.
Grem
Roar Rookie
No one wants him to remain – the women and the men – he should just go.
Bloke7
Roar Rookie
I'll believe him when he shows all the equivalent footage of him kissing the men on the lips like that.
sheek
Roar Guru
Is this slime still hanging around?
sheek
Roar Guru
Brainstrust - "Imagine if Trump had turned up and laid one on Rapine" could be interpreted several ways. Whichever way, he would have been up on assault! Again.....
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
I think he could have got away with everything and even a bit more , if he hadn't been so stingy with the women financially, the financial aspect was the main reason for the boycotts. While Spain are not the super rich federation like England, they would have more than enough money to be able to afford it as opposed to the African and Carribean nations that have little or no money. That he stiffed them financially he should have kept clear of the final actually as he didn't back their success. Imagine if Trump had turned up and laid one on Rapinoe.