- Hermoso also rejected the chance to appear in Rubiales’ apology video, despite his pleas that ‘my position is at stake, do it for my daughters’
Luis Rubiales will resign from his post as Spanish Football Association (RFEF) president in the wake of his forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso.
Having watched Spain beat England 1-0 to win the World Cup, Rubiales was part of the delegation that handed out medals to the victorious squad.
Amid those celebratory scenes, Rubiales was caught on camera grabbing Hermoso and kissing her on the lips, seemingly without her consent.
It sparked intense criticism, with a long line of notable Spanish football figures lining up to condemn his actions.
Multiple reports in Spain now suggest that Rubiales will resign within the next 24 hours, with the pushback simply becoming too much for the Spanish FA to bear.
The RFEF have planned an urgent meeting to discuss the president’s conduct, while Hermoso and the players’ union that looks after the Spain squad have insisted that they must see a proper punishment handed to Rubiales.
Along with the likes of Megan Rapinoe and Isco, the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, has even stepped in, insisting that Rubiales must resign.
Meanwhile, AS also reported the government have handed Rubiales the option of resigning – and if he refuses to – they will declare him ‘unfit for office’ and ban him, with reports stating a suspension could range from anywhere between two to 15 years.
Rubiales has lost significant support from a variety of stakeholders within Spanish football over the week, including FUTPRO – a union that represents Hermoso, who insisted his behaviour cannot go unpunished.
Hermoso also rejected the chance to appear in Rubiales’ apology video, despite his pleas that ‘my position is at stake, do it for my daughters’.
Spain’s women’s football league, Liga F, has similarly called for his dismissal and lodged a complaint with the president of the country’s sports council (CSD) after Rubiales’ ‘very serious actions and behaviour’.
The Spanish Football Federation will hold an emergency meeting today, where Rubiales will face questions over the fiasco ‘as a matter of urgency’.
The government are reportedly waiting to see what the result of this meeting is before acting but Miquel Iceta, the Spanish Minister of Sports, has insisted the government ‘cannot look the other way’ and that the results of the meeting ‘must be up to the task’.
Meanwhile, the Basque Football Federation confirmed they would not be attending the assembly, despite being Rubiales’s most trusted body, as reported by AS.
Barcelona, Sociedad, Osasuna, Getafe, Las Palmas, and Deportivo Alaves will also not attend the emergency meeting.
Other members are considering following suit and even leaving the board of directors.
‘Given the seriousness of what happened in the delivery of trophies for the World Championship final, and the subsequent management as a result of the events, the Basque Football Federation will not attend the RFEF (Spanish Federation) Assembly,’ a statement read.
‘Also, in view of what happens in the coming days, a decision will be made on the continuity of our president in the board of directors of the RFEF.’
Meanwhile, other territorial federations have confirmed that they will attend the crunch meeting. They include Andalusia, Asturias or the Balearic Islands.
