The Spanish government has decided to refer Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, to a sports court due to the incident involving a kiss at the Women's World Cup. A government official told Reuters that Rubiales will be suspended if the sports court agrees to this action.
Rubiales refused to resign from his position on Friday amidst the controversy surrounding the kiss he gave player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth without her consent during the celebrations for the Women's World Cup victory. The incident has sparked significant outrage both inside and outside Spain, leading to criticism from ministers, players, and coaches, along with calls for his resignation. This prompted the Spanish Football Federation to hold an emergency meeting on Friday, where Rubiales stated that the kiss was consensual and claimed to be a victim of a "social assassination" campaign.
During the emergency session held by the Spanish Federation on Friday, Rubiales stated that "fake feminists are trying to destroy me," describing the kiss as "spontaneous, mutual, joyful, and consensual." He added, "Will a simple consensual kiss force me out of here? I will not resign, I will not resign," in response to the backlash after kissing Hermoso during the medal ceremony following Spain's 1-0 win against England in the final in Sydney last Sunday.
