Spanish FA President Rubiales ‘will resign on Friday’ over Jenni Hermoso forced kiss
By Story Agencies, August 25, 2023The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, has finally bowed to pressure and will announce his resignation on Friday, August 25, 2023, after kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
The 46-year-old prompted a huge backlash during the presentation ceremony at the Women’s World Cup on Sunday when he grabbed Hermoso, 33, by the head and kissed her on the lips, with the forward later saying she ‘did not like it’.
A statement later that same evening claiming to be from Hermoso in which the incident was downplayed is now believed to have been written by the Spanish FA’s (RFEF) communications team.
Hermoso refused repeated requests from Rubiales to appear in an apology video he filmed on Monday, and on Wednesday evening, she confirmed, via her union, FUTPRO, that she would be pursuing action against the RFEF president.
Rubiales under pressure
The calls for Rubiales to be removed from his position have continued to get louder, with Liga F, the Spanish women’s league, calling for Spain’s National Sports Council to take action, while the country’s prime minister, Pedro Sanchez, said the apology alone ‘was not adequate’.
On Thursday, football’s world governing body, FIFA, also released a statement confirming that they had opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales.
The former journeyman defender had initially hoped to ride out the storm, with suggestions he could hand himself a two-month ban before returning later this year, but widespread reports in the Spanish media on Thursday night claim he has now decided to resign.
The RFEF had already called an emergency general assembly on Friday, and now the Spanish radio station Cope is reporting that Rubiales will resign during the meeting.
He informed his ‘close circle’ of the decision on Thursday evening and is believed to have felt his position had become untenable after numerous La Liga clubs said they would boycott the meeting and various notable figures, such as Atletico Madrid president Enrique Cerezo, demanded his resignation.
The RFEF were also informed by the head of Spain’s National Sports Council, Victor Francos, that if they did not act, then the government agency would be forced to.