FIFA suspends Spain soccer chief in the wake of nonconsensual World Cup kiss
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On Saturday (Aug. 26), Luis Rubiales, the Royal Spanish Football Federation president, was suspended for 90 days by FIFA.
The international tournament organization’s decision comes on the heels of disciplinary proceedings stemming from Rubiales’ controversial show of excitement at the World Cup Finals last weekend, reports the AP.
The Spanish women’s team won the title in a 1-0 victory against England on Sunday (Aug. 20) in Sydney, Australia. The triumph marks the first World Cup win in the club’s history. During the on-field trophy presentation, Rubiales joined the team in celebration, but the joyous moment was derailed when he kissed star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips. The athlete has publicly stated that the kiss was not consensual and that she did not like it.
For almost a week, Rubiales has been met with criticism for his actions. On Friday (Aug. 25), the soccer federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly held an emergency general assembly where the soccer chief displayed unwavering opposition to those demanding he step down. He reportedly said he would “fight to the end” and blatantly stated that he “will not resign,” according to CNN. The 46-year-old has been at the helm of the Spanish soccer federation since 2018. He defended his actions by stating, “My desire in that moment was exactly the same as if I’d have been kissing one of my daughters. No more or less. Everybody understands that. It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual, euphoric, and consensual. That’s the key.”
Spain’s winning squad and former players issued a statement on Friday stating that the team will not return to the field as long as Rubiales remains president. In it, Hermoso directly addressed his claims that the peck was mutual. “I want to clarify, as you can see in the images, that at no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me. I won’t tolerate that my word is called into question and even less so that words are invented which I didn’t say,” read the statement. The 33-year-old athlete said the encounter left her feeling “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression.”
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