(Madrid) FIFA announced Saturday to temporarily suspend the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, accused of having forcibly kissed the player Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final on Sunday.
“We have decided today to temporarily suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activity at national and international level,” world soccer’s governing body said in a statement, adding that the suspension would last for at least 90 days. pending the progress of the procedures opened against the Spaniard.
In the case already dubbed the “
The body also announced legal actions to defend its leader, whose refusal to resign on Friday and his attacks on “false feminism” sparked an avalanche of criticism in the sports and political world.
The federation said it would “initiate legal proceedings” to defend its president’s version.
“The RFEF and the president [Luis Rubiales] will prove every lie published by anyone on behalf of the player or, if so, by the player herself,” the body said in a statement. overnight from Friday to Saturday.
Spanish international Jenni Hermoso, 33, said on Friday evening that she felt “vulnerable and victim of aggression” when she was kissed by Luis Rubiales, 46, on Sunday at the World Cup trophy presentation. after claiming that this kiss “wasn’t consensual”.
A few hours earlier, Hermoso had assured, in a first press release from her union Futpro, that she had “at no time consented to this kiss”, dismantling the defense of Luis Rubiales.
In its press release, the federation quotes that of Futpro in which the player affirms: “I did not in any case seek to raise the president”.
The federation also responded to the 23 players of the national team, who announced on Friday that they refused to play again in the selection under the current management of the federation.
In its press release, the RFEF recalls that “participation in the selection is an obligation for all people [members of the federation] if they are called by it”.
In office since 2018, the boss of Spanish soccer had counter-attacked on Friday, refusing to resign. The kiss after the August 20 final was “reciprocal” and “consensual” and that he had obtained permission to do so, while castigating “false feminism”.
This case, already dubbed the “
Spanish Sports Minister Miquel Iceta said on Saturday that the government would ask the TAD (Administrative Sports Court) to meet on Monday. “If the TAD accepts the government’s complaint, we will immediately proceed with the suspension of the functions of president of the federation,” he warned in an interview with the daily El Pais on Saturday.
The minister also deplored “an episode that brought us the image of a macho Spain”, while the country is often presented as a leader in the fight against violence against women.
Many international athletes have denounced the gesture, attitude and words of Mr. Rubiales since the beginning of the case.
On Saturday, several players from the England national team, finalists against Spain last Sunday, denounced “the unacceptable actions permitted by a sexist and patriarchal organization. A mugging is a mugging and we’ve all seen the truth! “, in a press release posted on social networks.
Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol also expressed his “support” for Jenni Hermoso on the X social network.
Several La Liga men’s clubs, players and coaches have also condemned the behavior of the Spanish soccer boss.
The affair splashes the image of Spanish sport, while the country is a candidate for the organization of the Men’s World Cup in 2030 with Portugal and Morocco, the award of which is scheduled for the end of next year.
