The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, justified on Friday the kiss he gave to player Jennifer Hermoso after the final of the Women's World Cup.
The Spanish football leader assured that it was “free, mutual and consensual” and announced that he refused to leave his position. “I have no intention of resigning,” he said.
He said this in an open speech before the Assembly of the Spanish Football Federation, where he said he was willing to defend himself from all the accusations he has received in recent times and where he also announced that he intends to "file a lawsuit" against leaders of United We Can and Add such as Yolanda Díaz, Ione Belarra, Irene Montero, Pablo Echenique.
Rubiales claims that it is all a “witch hunt” against him because everything that has been said about his management in recent years and what happened in the World Cup final in Australia “does not correspond to the truth or justice”.
He also said that the kiss he gave to player Jennifer Hermoso during the World Cup celebration last Sunday was “a free, mutual and consensual kiss.” “She was the one who lifted me up, who brought her body closer to me, we hugged each other.
I told her: forget about the penalty, you were fantastic, without you we wouldn't have won the World Cup.' She said to me: 'you're a killer' and I replied: 'I know, I know, a little bit.' Then she said 'that's fine'", Rubiales explained to justify his behavior.
Rubiales stressed that “the most important thing” is that she “said yes” to the kiss and only admitted the criticism of the gesture she had on the authorities’ stage, when she put her hands on her private parts.
Spain: Government launches legal proceedings against Rubiales
The government, a few hours after Rubiales' decision not to resign, has already started all the procedures to take the head of the Spanish Football Federation before the administrative courts and have him suspended from office. Víctor Francos, the right-hand man of the Minister of Sports and Culture, the socialist Miquel Iceta, as well as president of the Higher Council of Sports, will announce the next moves in a press conference.
His organization will send the complaints against Rubiales to the Administrative Court of Sport today to begin their examination, a process that should lead to the suspension of the federation president.
At that point, as early as Monday, the Council will be able to suspend Rubiales, who would be automatically relieved of his duties and his functions would pass to one of his vice-presidents.
Rubiales Case, Spain's Women's Committee President Resigns
The president of the Navarra Football Federation, Rafael del Amo, has resigned from his position as president of the Spanish Women's Football National Committee.
“I have just resigned from the Women's Committee, which was my responsibility. I said goodbye to everyone,” she told reporters as she left the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation in Las Rozas, Madrid.
Del Amo was the only regional federation president to ask President Luis Rubiales to resign in the meeting held before the Assembly. “I had to tell him to his face that he had to resign,” “I was the only one,” he added.
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