Inside Luis Rubiales scandal as mum goes on hunger strike and coaches resign
One week ago, Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history.
Olga Carmona’s first-half goal clinched a 1-0 victory over England, but the team’s, and nation’s, revelry was cut short after Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales’ unsolicited kiss of striker Jennifer Hermoso ignited a sensational scandal that has since plunged Spanish football into unprecedented controversy.
Hermoso, 33, denied any consent to the kiss and declared herself, along with 80 other Spanish footballers, unavailable for national team selection until structural actions against Rubiales are taken.
Despite heavy pressure for Rubiales’ to resign, the 46-year-old refused, denouncing the censure against him as part of a “social assassination” fuelled by “faux feminism”.
The fallout from the Women’s World Cup has been nothing short of extraordinary, from a spiralling storm of statements and mass resignations to the involvement of the Spanish government and a hunger strike by Rubiales’ mother.
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An ongoing dispute and the 'mutinous 15'
Spain’s 1-0 victory over England at the 2023 Women’s World Cup arrived amid an ongoing dispute between the RFEF and members of the national team, who had accused the federation of maltreatment and inappropriate behaviour by national team manager Jorge Vilda.
Last September, 15 Spain players declared their ineligibility for national-team selection until structural changes were made. The players held a video call with RFEF president Rubiales, who dismissed the players’ grievances and categorically supported Vilda.
Only three of the ‘mutinous 15’ – Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmati and Mariona Caldentey – returned to the World Cup squad. Vilda was routinely seen celebrating Spain’s journey to the World Cup final alone amid reports of a splintered dressing room.
Sunday: Rubiales’ celebrations, the kiss and backlash
During the trophy presentation, Rubiales embraced each Spain player as they collected their medals. However, Rubiales’ embrace with Hermoso sparked outrage after he lifted the 33-year-old off her feet before kissing her on the lips.
“Yeah (it happened), but I didn’t like it,” Hermoso later said while watching a video of the incident with teammates in an Instagram live broadcast in the dressing room. She was also asked by a male member of the coaching staff if Rubiales ‘used tongue’.
The kiss was not an isolated event. As the final whistle blew in Sydney, Rubiales was caught on video grabbing his crotch in wild celebration, despite being in a VIP area alongside the Queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter.
Rubiales was later filmed declaring to the dressing room that he would “marry Hermoso” in Ibiza. The Spanish chief dismissed the subsequent outrage as “idiotic nonsense from d***heads and dumba****”, adding that “it was a peck between two friends celebrating something”.
Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso (Noe Llamas/SPP/REX/Shutterstock)Monday: RFEF issue statement on behalf of Hermoso as Rubiales U-turns
The incident is widely condemned on social media. Spain’s equalities minister Irene Montero and sports minister Miquel Iceta both voice criticism, amid calls from deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz for Rubiales’ immediate removal.
On Monday, the RFEF release a statement, which quotes Hermoso claiming the kiss “was a mutual, totally spontaneous gesture because of the huge joy of winning a World Cup.”
Rubiales then posts an apology video, stating “this is an incident in which I have surely been wrong, I have to admit it because at a moment of maximum emotion and without any bad intention and without any bad faith, what happened did so in a really spontaneous manner.
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“Elsewhere, it seems that an uproar has occurred, of course, if there are people who have felt damaged by this I have to apologise.”
However it soon emerges that the RFEF's alleged statement from Hermoso was fabricated. Furthermore, the player and her family were both beseeched heavily by Rubiales and Vilda in the Doha airport to appear in Rubiales’ apology video, but Hermoso refused.
Luis Rubiales' inappropriate behaviour at the Women's World Cup final has incited universal outrage (Twitter@https://twitter.com/PabloEchenique)Tuesday: Hermoso and FUTPRO demand action against Rubiales
On Tuesday, Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sanchez discounts Rubiales’ apology, though he admits the government cannot intervene as the RFEF “does not belong to the structure of the Spanish government” and “the president on duty is elected and dismissed by his associates.”
Other high-profile figures pile more pressure on Rubiales to resign, including USWNT star Megan Rapinoe, LaLiga chief and president of Getafe CF Angel Torres and Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti, who implores the RFEF to "make the right decision".
On Wednesday, the global footballers’ union FIFPRO release a statement calling for immediate action to be taken, while the Spanish women’s players’ union FUTPRO, speaking on behalf of Hermoso, expresses its “firm and categorical condemnation in the face of behaviours that threaten the dignity of women”, while calling on the Spanish FA to implement “the necessary protocols” and adopt “exemplary measures”.
The FA’s official protocol classifies ‘forced kisses’ as “unacceptable conduct with immediate consequences.”
Thursday: FIFA open disciplinary proceedings
The RFEF announces it will hold an extraordinary general assembly on Friday to discuss the events of the Women’s World Cup. FIFA announces it has opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales.
Friday: Rubiales’ refuses resignation in extraordinary press conference
Before a room full of peers, Rubiales, who has been president since 2018, emphatically declares he will not not resign, claims instead to be a victim of an attempted “social assassination” and "false feminism, one of the scourges of this country."
Rubiales adds: “And I say, what is it I’ve done? A consensual peck is enough to get me out of here?” before shouting furiously “I will not resign" five times to widespread applause from members of the Spanish FA.
Rubiales also offers women’s head coach Vilda–who had been spotted appearing to touch a female staff member’s breast while celebrating Carmona’s World Cup final goal –a lucrative new four-year contract.
RFEF President Luis Rubiales refuses to resign during an extraordinary general assembly of the federation (RFEF/AFP via Getty Images)Friday: Spanish government takes legal action amid 81-player protest and Real Madrid speaks out
The outrage is immediate to Rubiales’ wild accusations of “suffering persecution” by “faux feminism”.
Real Betis stars and Spain internationals Hector Bellerin and Borja Iglesias announce boycotts from any national team selection, while Ballon d'Or winner and Spanish star Alexia Putellas publicly declares the current situation "unacceptable".
Victor Francos, head of the state-fun National Sports Council, confirms that Rubiales will face legal action to remove him from office.
Spanish giants Real Madrid offer full support to Francos, declaring in a statement: "Our club fully supports the decision put in place by the president of the Superior Council of Sports, Víctor Francos, who will immediately raise this case to the Administrative Court of Sport.
"From now on, Real Madrid fully trusts the actions carried out by the corresponding competent bodies, such as the Higher Sports Council in this case."
A letter signed by 81 Spain players, including the entire 2023 World-Cup winning squad, is released by FUTPRO which states they will reject call-ups to the national team until leadership changes are implemented.
The actions of Rubiales are described as “violating the dignity of women”.
Hermoso supplies an individual statement via social media, in which she reiterates that the kiss was not consensual and that “I feel the need to denounce this fact since I consider that no person, in any area work, sports or social should be a victim of this type of non-consensual behaviour."
Friday: RFEF threaten legal action against Hermoso and Wright slams UEFA
In response to the FUTPRO statement, the Spanish FA sensationally threaten Hermoso with legal action in a sign of the authority continuing to back the under-fire Rubiales.
The statement arrives with four photographs of Hermoso and Rubiales embracing, with accompanying analysis of the body language of both parties, suggesting that Hermoso instigated the kiss.
The RFEF statement reads: “The evidence is conclusive. Mr. President has not lied. The RFEF and the president, given the seriousness of the content of the press release from the FUTPRO union, will initiate the corresponding legal actions.”
On Friday evening, the Lionesses issue a scathing joint statement announcing their support of Hermoso and the Spanish national team as a number of teams around the football community follow suit, including Sevilla FC, NWSL side Orlando Pride and SC Freiburg.
Meanwhile, former Arsenal striker Ian Wright slams the silence of UEFA chiefs amid the wildly escalating saga, claiming "They don't give a s***!"
Saturday: FIFA suspend Rubiales, Vilda's staff walks out and sexual violence protocol activated
A new twist sees by FIFA.
Rubiales and the RFEF are also ordered to refrain from contacting by the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio. The RFEF responds with two statements. The first acknowledges the suspension and declares that Rubiales will defend himself.
The second, since deleted, doubles down on its accusations that Hermoso had lied, adding that the former Barcelona forward had also been “abducted” by FUTPRO.
“Later you can think that you have made a mistake, but you cannot change reality," it reads. The RFEF reiterates that it will take the “corresponding legal actions against all those people who are falsifying reality and committing very serious crimes".
Spanish legend Xavi Hernandez halts his pre-match press conference to lament the marring of the women's team's success and calls for Rubiales' sacking.
Immediately after the RFEF’s release of the second statement, news breaks that Vilda's entire coaching staff has resigned.
The letter signed by all 11 staff members read: "After the Extraordinary General Assembly of the Royal Spanish Football Federation ... in which the president of the RFEF did not present his resignation and in which he offered a story that does not reflect in any way any of the feelings of the aforementioned player, who has expressly stated that she felt 'victim of aggression', this part of the Technical Staff supports the player Jennifer Hermoso, endorsing the version offered by her.”
Vilda releases a statement on Saturday night condemning Rubiales and “without doubt any macho attitude, [which should be] far from an advanced and developed society.” However, the head coach does not resign.
The RFEF launches an internal investigation after its sexual violence protocol was activated.
Jorge Vilda released a statement condemning Rubiales - but crucially NOT resigning (Alex Pantling - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images)Monday: Rubiales’ mum goes on hunger strike, UEFA demand and criminal investigation launched
RFEF Secretary General, Andreu Camps, moves to threaten the Spanish government in defence of Rubiales and asks UEFA to suspend the RFEF, which would see the exclusion of Spanish teams from all European competitions.
The Spanish FA announce they will hold an ‘urgent’ meeting on Monday to discuss the recent events entrenching Spanish football, while Yolanda Díaz, Spain's acting vice president, states in her press conference along with the president of FUTPRO that "those who applauded Rubiales, [at the extraordinary general assembly] in my opinion, should not continue in their positions.”
Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mother, Angeles Bejar, has locked herself in a Spanish church and declared a hunger strike in protest of the “inhuman witch-hunt” of her football chief son.
Hours later, Spanish prosecutors confirmed they had opened a preliminary sexual abuse investigation into Rubiales. The Prosecutor's Office said it has started the investigation because "the sexual act was not consented".
Monday night: Spanish FA call on Rubiales to resign
In a surprising U-turn, the RFEF call for Rubiales' immediate resignation following a meeting of the body's territorial presidents.
In a statement released on Monday evening, the federation call on Rubiales to step down, pledge to "carry out a deep and imminent organic restructuring in strategic positions" of the FA and declare "unanimous support of President Pedro Rocha", the FA president stand-in following Rubiales' suspension by FIFA.
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