Spain FA President Refuses To Resign After Unsolicited Kiss With Star

Luis Rubiales refused to resign as president of the Spanish football federation following growing pressure after his unsolicited kiss with Spain star Jenni Hermoso.

Spain beat England in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final at Stadium Australia on Aug. 20, and during the celebration, Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso on the lips. Rubiales claimed it was a consensual act, but Hermoso denied that statement and urged the Spanish FA to take action against him.

Other stars like United States forward Megan Rapinoe joined in on the calls for Rubiales to step down, but the 46-year-old called out critics during an extraordinary meeting of the federation’s general assembly.

“Do you think this (incident) is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football?” Rubiales said, per ESPN. “Let me tell you: I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign.

“I’ve come under a lot of pressure. Perhaps somebody will look to remove me on Monday. But we live in a country of laws. Is a consensual kiss enough to remove me? I’m going to fight until the end. I hope the law is followed, and that as there’s no reason to (remove me), it won’t happen.”

Rubiales went on a long rant, calling critics “false feminists.”

Spain’s World Cup win came amid years of controversy under manager Jorge Vilda, where top players boycotted playing for the team and called for his dismissal. Rubiales and the Spanish FA backed Vilda, who was booed during Spain’s celebration and stood alone with players continuing their protests toward the manager.

Men’s players showed solidarity toward the women’s team following Rubiales’ refusal to step down.

“What is happening is truly shameful,” Real Betis defender Héctor Bellerín wrote on social media, as translated by the Mirror’s Colin Millar. “From representing our country with that level of vulgarity, misrepresenting the victim’s statements and, on top of that, having the audacity to blame her, going on to victimize her for having committed an abuse, are facts that no one would do. How can this go unpunished? Football is a social tool to make advancements and progress, machismo should have no place within this system. … “

Real Betis teammate Borja Iglesias said he would not play for Spain unless “this type of act (from Rubiales) does not go unpunished,” per machine translation.

Alexia Putellas, who won the Ballon d’Or Féminin in 2021, called Rubiales’ actions “unacceptable” and supported her Spain teammate.

Spain’s win at the World Cup arguably helped strengthen Rubiales’ and Vilda’s job security, but a strong stance from the players and others in the soccer world could change that.