The pressure on Luis Rubiales continues to mount, with the Spanish FA’s regional presidents demanding him to quit following his activities at the 2023 World Cup.
Rubiales, the president of the RFEF, has been heavily lambasted for kissing Spain women’s star Jenni Hermoso during the medal and trophy presentation ceremony following the Women’s World Cup final, but has argued it was “consensual” while refusing to resign.
Hermoso has since clarified that she did not consent to the kiss, which has led to Spanish prosecutors opening a criminal investigation into the president.
Rubiales has been suspended for 90 days by FIFA, and the Commission of Presidents of Regional and Territorial Federations of the RFEF have now deemed his behaviour as “unacceptable” while calling for his resignation and a “restructuring in strategic positions”.
- ‘It was consensual,’ says Spanish FA director Luis Rubiales, who refuses to quit after kissing Women’s World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso and blasts ‘fake feminism’ in odd speech.
- ‘Speak the truth,’ says Luis Rubiales’ mother, who goes on hunger strike outside a church in protest of her son’s ‘cruel’ treatment.
“After the latest events and the unacceptable behaviours that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Mr. Luis Rubiales immediately present his resignation as president of the RFEF,” an official statement from the governing body reads.
“We will urge the corresponding bodies to carry out a deep and imminent organic restructuring in strategic positions of the Federation to give way to a new stage of management in Spanish football.”
It has also been revealed that the RFEF sent UEFA a letter requesting for their teams to be expelled from European competition due to government involvement – but it was rejected.
Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mother has gone on hunger strike at a church in Motril because of what she described as an “inhuman hunt” against her son.
Rubiales finds himself further cornered after his close friend and Spanish women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda also criticised him.
