Spanish Women’s Football Team Boycotts Matches, Demanding Removal of Luis Rubiales

In response to the scandal surrounding football federation president Luis Rubiales kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s World Cup victory, dozens of members of the Spanish Women’s National Team declared on Friday that they would not participate in any matches for their nation until Rubiales was fired.

Early on Friday, Rubiales resisted leaving, which enraged players and government leaders who denounced his acts as reprehensible misogynistic behavior.

The dismissal of the federation’s executive committee was demanded in a letter signed by 56 players, including Hermoso and the whole 23-player team that won the cup.

Rubiales, who is the leader of the autonomous Royal Spanish Football Federation, cannot be fired by the government (RFEF). Yet, according to Victor Francos, the director of the government-run sports council, it will attempt to suspend him through a legal process before a sports tribunal.

Francos stated, “We want this to be the ‘Me Too’ of Spanish soccer.

Hermoso said on Friday that she had objected to Rubiales kissing her.

 Rubiales has come under increasing fire for his actions this week. The incident happened while the players were receiving their medals following their 1-0 victory against England in the World Cup final on Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head and put a kiss on her mouth as the players walked by.

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Backlash Grows

In response to Hermoso’s assertion in a statement that her union was defending her interests and that such actions should “never go unpunished,” Fifa initiated disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales on Thursday.

Social media users widely mocked Rubiales’ remarks from Friday and the acclaim he received at the event.

The government announced that a case had been opened to have Sunday’s incident heard by a sports tribunal. Rubiales might be prosecuted under a sexual violence rule that the country’s ruling Socialists passed last year if it can be shown that the kiss was not voluntary.

Three of the seven judges on the court were appointed by the government-run CSD. If the court concurs, Francos said the CSD can suspend Rubiales while the probe is ongoing.

In his remarks, Rubiales said that Hermoso was the one who made the first move by picking him up by the hips. He claimed Hermoso consented after he asked permission to give her “a little peck.”

In a statement, the football players’ union FIFPro said it had written to Uefa, where Rubiales serves as vice-president, asking for it to begin disciplinary action. Uefa opted against commenting.

Rafael del Amo, president of the national committee for women’s football, was the only person to object and he announced he would resign from his positions, which also included the vice-presidency of the federation.

Read Next: Spain Football Chief Issues Apology for Kissing World Cup Winner on Lips

Source: SCMP