WOMEN'S WORLD CUP
Video: Recap of the Rubiales/Hermoso developments
From the non-consentual kiss by RFEF President Luis Rubiales to Jenni Hermoso to the RFEF taking legal action against Hermoso, here is how it all happened.
Spain made history by winning their first-ever Women’s World Cup last week, but that was only the narrative for a brief moment. The victory was then tarnished when the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, grabbed player Jennifer Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips (not before grabbing his crotch “in celebration”).
Since that moment, Rubiales has:
-Called the people upset by the act “idiots”
-Halfheartedly apologized to the people he upset
-Been called on to resign
-Been given disciplinary proceedings against him by FIFA
-Said the kiss was consensual and that Hermoso agreed to a kiss
Not only that, but Hermoso has denied that the kiss was mutual and several female players plus men’s forward Borja Iglesias have refused to play for the national team until Rubiales resigns. The plot thickened, however, when the RFEF decided to take legal action against Hermoso, accusing her of lying and initiating the events that led to the kiss. FIFA issued Rubiales a 90-day suspension, effective immediately, plus no contact by him or the RFEF to Hermoso. The latest news is that the entire Spanish coaching staff has decided to resign, with the exception of one person: coach Jorge Vilda.