WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
RFEF president Luis Rubiales refuses to resign and says he’s the victim of a “witch-hunt”: what happens next?
The head of the Spanish Soccer Federation repeated the phrase “I’m not going to resign” three times as he came out fighting.
Luis Rubiales has sensationally refused to resign as president of the Spanish Soccer Federation (RFEF) at the organisation’s emergency AGM, which was hastily called after the 46-year-old was seen kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips after La Roja had won the Women’s World Cup for the first time in their history at Stadium Australia in Sydney last Sunday.
It had been widely believed that Rubiales would announce that he would be stepping down from his position following the huge backlash he has received, but he instead came out on the defensive and accused numerous parties of orchestrating a “witch-hunt” against him.
Rubiales sorry for grabbing crotch next to Spanish Royal Family
Rubiales did offer his “sincere apologies” for grabbing his crotch in the immediate aftermath of the full-time whistle, which he said was a gesture towards under-fire head coach Jorge Vilda, who had “shown balls” in the face of adversity. He claimed he had “almost lost control”, while sitting just a few steps away from Queen Letizia and Infanta Sofia of Spain.
Hermoso kiss “consensual” and “like kissing my daughters”
Rubiales likened kissing Hermoso to kissing one of his two daughters, and said it was a consensual act, contradicting a statement released by the player via the FUTPRO players’ union on Wednesday, which the RFEF chief said he “couldn’t understand”. He claims to have asked the Pachuca star if she agreed to the kiss beforehand, which she said was “OK”.
Rubiables’ “social assassination”
Then came the finger-pointing, with Rubiales claiming that he had been the victim of a “social assassination”, led by “powerful people” who were unhappy with him being in the position he is in. Several official complaints have been filed against him for an alleged sexual assault, against which Rubiales vowed to defend himself in court if need be. He also revealed he himself would take legal action against those who had reported him. “People referred to my behaviour as a ‘sexual assault’, an ‘attack’…what will women who have actually been sexually assaulted think?”
He also inevitably took aim at the media, who he believed had orchestrated a “witch-hunt” against him during his five years in charge of the RFEF, with numerous controversies reported. “They will never be proved because I never did them”.
“I’m not going to resign!”
But without doubt the best summary of his long intervention is the following: “Do you really think this justifies the witch-hunt I’m the target of? Is it really that bad that I should resign? I’m not going to resign!” He repeated the last of those phrases on three occasions.
Even as Rubiales was speaking, a whole host of figures from the worlds of soccer, politics and beyond, including former Spain goalkeepers Iker Casillas and David De Gea, took to social media to voice their disbelief at what they were hearing.
What will happen to Rubiales?
Although Rubiales has no intention to resign, he could well be forced out of his position by Spain’s regional soccer federations, whose presidents have significant power within the national federation, who have been carrying out an internal investigation into the matter.
Rubiales hit by immediate temporary suspension
The CSD (Spain’s National Sports Council) have already revealed that they have submitted the complaints filed against him to the TAD (the Spanish Administrative Sports Court), who could ban Rubiales from holding office from anywhere between two to 15 years, if they decide he has committed an offence. In the time being, Rubiales will be suspended, which come come into effect as early as Friday.
As he hinted at in his speech, Rubiales could also face criminal action after Miguel Ángel Galán, the preisdent of Cenafe, the Spanish national school for soccer coaches, filed a complaint to the Prosecutor’s Office in Madrid and the State Attorney General’s Office.
FIFA, meanwhile, have opened disciplinary proceedings against him based on his behaviour, which “may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code”.
Rubiales may not be resigning, but there is a long, long way to go if he is to keep his post and avoid being punished for his actions by a number of authorities.