On Saturday, August 26, the Spanish Football Federation accused Jenni Hermoso of telling “lies” in her remarks regarding her kiss with federation head Luis Rubiales.
In response to Hermoso’s assertion that she did not co nsent to being kissed on the lips during Spain’s World Cup victory, it state that the federation and Rubiales would show each of the lies that had been spread, whether they told in the name of the player, if that is the case, or by the player herself. To defend the reputation of the President of the RFEF, “as many legal actions as necessary” would be require.
Spain’s national team players made an official announcement on Friday that they would not participate in any more matches until Rubiales resigned, less than a week after their side won the Women’s World Cup. The president of the federation, who also censure for grasping his crotch following Spain’s 1-0 victory over England on Sunday, resisted pressure to step down. The kiss ruined the championship festivities on Sunday in Sydney, Australia, and condemnation has been mounting ever since.
Despite Rubiales, the 46-year-old federation president, portraying himself as the victim during an extraordinary general assembly of the federation in Madrid, Hermoso vehemently rebuked Rubiales’ claim that the kiss consensual in a statement release on Friday. He repeatedly said, “I won’t resign,” to thunderous cheers from the audience, which was predominately male.
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Spanish football federation
On Thursday, it was claime by a number of Spanish news outlets that Rubiales would resign. Instead, he said on Friday that “false feminists” were conducting a witch hunt against him. Rafael del Amo, the federation vice president in charge of women’s football, and at least two other federation members all announced their resignations while Rubiales stood his stand. Rubiales had been encourage to step down by Del Amo.
Jorge Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, coaches of the men’s and women’s national teams, were among those who applauded Rubiales. He had no public backing in Spain prior to Friday’s meeting, with both leftist and rightist political parties standing out against him. In his remarks to the audience, Rubiales said Hermoso “lifted me up” in a celebration gesture and “said yes” when he asked her for a “little kiss.” Rubiales remarked, “The kiss was the same I might give one of my kids.
