Luis Rubiales: Spanish Football Federation asks President to resign

An investigation is underway by the Spanish Football Association into their President, Luis Rubiales, who has refused to step down despite calls for his resignation.

The controversy began when Rubiales allegedly non-consentually kissed football player, Jenni Hermoso, when the Spanish Women's football team won the Women's World Cup. In a video streamed after the kiss, Hermoso said of the event: “I didn’t like it, but what can I do?”

The Spanish FA President has claimed that the kiss was “mutual and with the consent” of Hermoso and has said that he is the victim of a witch hunt by “false feminists.”

At an emergency meeting of the Spanish Soccer Federation, Rubiales claimed the kidd was consensual. “I won’t resign,” he declared four times in quick succession at the meeting.

Speaking at the assembly, Rubiales said that Hermoso “lifted me up” in a celebratory gesture and he asked her for “a little kiss?” to which she “said yes.”

“The kiss was the same I could give one of my daughters,” Rubiales commented.

The televised broadcast of the medals ceremony didn't show the first few moments of the encounter between Rubiales and Hermoso - but it did show that the President's feet were on the grounf in the moments before he held Hermoso's face and kissed her.

The football player contradicted Rubiales’ version of events in a statement issued later through her players’ union. The World Cup Winner said: “in no moment did I consent to the kiss that he gave me and in no moment did I try to pick up the president. I won’t tolerate anyone putting in doubt my word and even more so that anyone invents words that I did not say.”

The President has been banned from all football-related activity for 90 days by Fifa over his conduct, with an investigation launched into his behaviour, while Spanish police are now investigating Rubiales for alleged sexual assault.

On Friday, August 25, after the President refused to resign his position, the Spanish women’s team released a joint statement saying they will not play until the federation leadership is changed. Signed by 56 players including all 23 from the World Cup winning squad, the statement indicated significant unrest within the team.

After the release of this joint statement, the Spanish football federation threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso over her "lies." The governing body said it would take "necessary legal action" against the 79 women’s football players who signed the letter refusing to play, as well.

The governing body have now asked Uefa to investigate the Spanish government’s involvement in the Rfef are true then the Spanish FA seem more determined to blow up the foundations of Spanish football than holding Rubiales to account.

Should Uefa grant their request it would ban Spanish football from Uefa competitions meaning teams from Spain would not be able to compete in the Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference Leagues among others.

Uefa will take no action on an astonishing request by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to be expelled – and thus have its clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona kicked out of European competitions like the Champions League – over what the RFEF claims is government interference on the Luis Rubiales crisis, as the federation president now faces an investigation from the Spanish Prosecutors Office for sexual assault.