(Madrid) The presidents of the regional federations of Spanish football, summoned by the interim president of the Federation, demanded on Monday the immediate resignation of Luis Rubiales, who is the subject of a preliminary investigation for sexual assault after giving a kiss forced to international Jenni Hermoso.
On the judicial front, the Spanish public prosecutor’s office announced earlier today the opening of a preliminary investigation for “sexual assault”.
The Spanish soccer boss aroused a wave of indignation by kissing Jenni Hermoso on the mouth on the World Cup podium on August 20 in Sydney after the coronation of La Roja.
“After recent events and unacceptable behavior that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish soccer, the presidents ask Luis Rubiales to immediately submit his resignation as president of the RFEF,” the Federation wrote in a statement.
The call was issued following a meeting of the federation’s regional presidents, convened urgently by Pedro Rocha, who has held the interim presidency of the RFEF since Luis Rubiales was suspended from his post by FIFA, the international soccer body.
They also speak out for “a deep and immediate restructuring of the Federation’s strategic positions in order to pave the way for a new stage in the management of Spanish soccer”.
The pressure has been mounting and escalating in recent days, since Rubiales, 46, announced to everyone’s surprise last Friday that he was refusing to step down.
After FIFA’s decision to suspend him on Saturday “from all soccer-related activity at national and international level” for 90 days, he is now under preliminary investigation for sexual assault.
This investigation, said the prosecution in a press release, relates to “facts which could constitute a crime of sexual assault”.
Seized by the Spanish government, the Administrative Sports Court (TAD) met for its part on Monday to study the complaint of the left executive against Luis Rubiales.
The case, already dubbed the “
Several men’s and women’s soccer teams across the country displayed banners or t-shirts with the inscription
Behind the
The convictions go beyond the world of soccer, with Spanish basketball legend Pau Gasol, and even sports, with Israeli-American actress Natalie Portman.
In a country considered very advanced in terms of women’s rights, the government of socialist Pedro Sanchez is particularly virulent against Luis Rubiales.
“Faced with a non-consensual kiss”, which can constitute sexual assault under the Spanish Penal Code, “the government has an obligation to act”, Equality Minister Irene Montero said on Monday.
Rubiales, who castigated a supposed “false feminism” by announcing that he did not intend to resign, insists that this kiss was “consensual”.
But the former defender’s version was categorically denied by the world champion, who said she felt “vulnerable and victim of aggression […] without any consent on my part”.
Denouncing the “harassment”, of which Luis Rubiales would be the victim, his mother began a hunger strike in a church in Motril (South), Vanessa Ruiz Bejar, a cousin of the president of the federation, told the press.
The RFEF is in the process of applying to organize the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Morocco.
The 23 players of the sacred group in Australia refuse to play under the current management and six members of the management of the women’s selection resigned on Saturday