The scandal surrounding the Spanish association boss Luis Rubiales continues to cause outrage. FIFA and Madrid are taking action against the official. The 46-year-old clings to his post.
Luis Rubiales’ flimsy defense speech including justification for his encroaching behavior was then too much for FIFA.
About a week after the kiss scandal at the award ceremony of the World Cup final, the world association suspended the massively criticized Spanish association president for 90 days at the weekend – and in Madrid they are working flat out to ensure that the 46-year-old is also removed from football afterwards -Stage disappears. “We want this to be the ‘MeToo’ of Spanish football. There has to be a change,” said Víctor Franco, president of Spain’s top sports authority.
Rubiales complains about a “media hunt”
The case is now also with the national sports tribunal Tad. Rubiales could be banned as an official for between two and 15 years for serious violations of the Spanish sports law. The 46-year-old, who caused outrage around the world with his kiss on the mouth of Jennifer Hermoso after winning the World Cup final in Sydney, had ruled out resigning on Friday, complained about a media hunt and described himself as a victim of “social murder”. . He’s been on his own for a long time. A special meeting of the Spanish RFEF association is planned for this Monday.
“Such behavior is unacceptable and it is even more intolerable to downplay it and put pressure on the player. Nobody, absolutely nobody should dismiss this as a trifle,” says an open letter published by DFB captain Alexandra Popp national teams. In Spain at the weekend, former world star Xavi Hernández was one of the critics. The two national coaches Jorge Vilda (women) and Luis de la Fuente (men) also moved away from Rubiales – with some delay.
Great solidarity with Jennifer Hermoso
Before the game against UD Almería, professionals from first division club FC Cádiz ran onto the pitch with a banner that read “We are all Jenni”. There were similar actions by fans and players at other courses in Spain over the weekend.
Hermoso responded to Rubiales’ refusal to resign over the weekend with a detailed statement. “I felt vulnerable and the victim of an impulsive, sexist and inappropriate act that I didn’t consent to. Put simply, I wasn’t respected,” the 33-year-old wrote in a statement shared on social media. Shortly before, all the players in the Spanish team had announced that they would not play again as long as Rubiales was still in office.
“It makes us very sad that such unacceptable behavior overshadows the greatest sporting achievement of Spanish women’s football,” said the statement from the FutPro union, signed by 81 players. The RFEF replied that those who belong to the squad must also compete.
The association accused Hermoso of lying and threatened legal action. Your representation that the kiss was not mutually agreed was wrong. To substantiate this, the association published four photos intended to exonerate Rubiales. The respective postures of Rubiales and Hermoso are described in detail. The pictures are proof that Rubiales did not lie. They are said to show Rubiales being held by Hermoso, two of which have his legs in the air. The RFEF display is not supported by the short image sequence.
“As far as it depends on us, it’s the last hours of Rubiales,” Sport Minister Miquel Iceta told the newspaper “El País”. Celebrities expressed their solidarity with Hermoso far beyond sport – in Spain this included other music greats such as singer Alejandro Sanz and film stars such as Carlos Bardem, the brother of Oscar winner Javier.
Kraus: “We have to achieve real changes”
The FIFA ban initially prevents Rubiales from appearing as a football official. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee initiated proceedings on Thursday, and the world association can also ban Rubiales for several years. FIFA also ordered that Rubiales may not contact Hermoso or those close to him, either personally or through a third party. The same applies to the RFEF.
“The outcry in the escalation is not enough,” said former soccer goalkeeper and official Katja Kraus on Saturday. “Everyone who is now alongside Jennifer Hermoso and her colleagues has to keep up the pressure to bring about real change. In Spain and in football as a whole.”
The newspaper “El País” wrote that the Spanish #Metoo had developed into a “close now”. Politicians, media and athletes supported women in a country that is now at the forefront of protecting women from male violence.
Source: Stern
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