The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) presented, on Tuesday 5 September, “his apologies to the world of football and to society as a whole” for the behavior of Luis Rubiales, suspended by the International Football Federation (FIFA) after surprisingly imposing a kiss on the mouth to the player Jennifer Hermoso.
“Spanish society is an example of tolerance and civility, in all social and political spheres (…) ; and this nobility and this international prestige of our society and our sport have been tainted in recent days by the behavior of Luis Rubialesregrets Pedro Rocha, the interim president of the RFEF in a communicated. We must offer our most sincere apologies and we must make a firm and absolute commitment that such events can never happen again. »
On Monday, the players of the Spanish men’s football team also showed their solidarity with the women’s team, castigating the “unacceptable behavior” by M. Rubiales. Pushed from all sides to resign because of his gesture, the latter had announced that he would remain in office during a sensational speech, during which he had declared that he was not going to leave. “because of a little consented kiss”and denounced a lawsuit brought by a “false feminism”.
Ongoing proceedings
This speech of August 25 was applauded by almost all of the general assembly of the RFEF, including the coaches of the women’s and men’s teams. The latter, Luis de la Fuente, then apologized for applauding. The same evening, the twenty-three players of the female Roja, crowned world champions on August 20, announced that they refused to be called up for the selection as long as there would be no change at the head of the federation.
FIFA, which opened a disciplinary investigation against Luis Rubiales, suspended him the next day for ninety days “of any football-related activity at national and international level” pending the progress of the procedures in progress. A procedure is also underway in Spain, with the Administrative Court of Sport, to which the government has written to demand the provisional suspension of Rubiales.