Spanish federation, for some reason, launches bizarre defense of Luis Rubiales

The RFEF is going to keep digging

When you find yourself in a hole, the Spanish soccer federation’s advice is to just keep digging.

That’s the only conclusion that can be drawn from an extraordinary public statement published by the federation (RFEF) after midnight on Saturday in Spain, which purported to defend its president, Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales has come under intense criticism for his actions following Spain’s World Cup final victory, which include kissing attacker Jenni Hermoso on the lips — an act Hermoso has called non-consensual in public statements — calling the team together to announce that he would marry Hermoso in Ibiza, and grabbing at his nether regions while celebrating at full time.

“The RFEF announces the presentation of as many legal actions as may correspond in defense of the honorability of the President of the RFEF who has exposed in a clear and simple way how the events that are the cause of conflict and ridicule on the part of broad sectors of the society occurred against [Rubiales],” read the RFEF statement.

Going much further than this, the statement then claimed “that the facts exposed by Mr. President are absolutely true and that he is not lying,” offering as proof a four-photo slideshow claiming to prove that Hermoso lifted the (much larger) Rubiales, and that this lift exonerated the federation head.

This allegation comes despite video from the trophy ceremony showing Rubiales, very much with his feet on the stage throughout an overly long hug that ended with a kiss that Hermoso called “an act without any consent on my part” in a social media post of her own.

Rubiales was criticized most pointedly for the kiss, eventually offering a tepid apology. The reaction grew louder, with the acting prime minister and second deputy prime minister among the voices calling for a more thorough apology or Rubiales’ resignation.

While he was reportedly on the verge of doing so, and just one day after FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against him, Rubiales instead chose to lash out at his critics, declaring that he would not resign at an RFEF meeting. In a particularly grim coda, this declaration was met with a round of applause from the heavily male officials and observers present.

If these do not sound like the appropriate actions for a federation president to you, that’s probably because you are anyone but the decision-makers at the RFEF.

RFEF defiant in face of criticism

Since then, the condemnation from around the soccer world has grown into a deafening roar. Spain’s players — you know, the ones that literally just won the World Cup — signed a collective letter saying that none of them would play for the federation until “sporting and structural changes” were implemented. Spain men’s forward Borja Iglesias said he, too, would refuse call-ups as long as Rubiales is in place. Multiple Spanish clubs called for Rubiales to go, as did star players from around the soccer and sporting world.

Unfortunately, those expecting the quick and obvious resolution that would be Rubiales’ dismissal are probably not going to get what they want. The RFEF is nothing if not utterly defiant, much in the manner that it offered a pro-Jorge Vilda post to social media moments after the end of the final, and in its handling of 15 Spain players calling for Vilda’s ouster and other changes late in 2022.

Perhaps the most telling scene amid all of this is that applause Rubiales got when loudly and repeatedly going on about how he wouldn’t resign. Vilda and Spain men’s head coach Luis de la Fuente — both Spanish federation lifers who have not held coaching positions anywhere outside of the country’s youth national team programs in over a decade — were shown on camera joining that applause, choosing fealty to a powerful functionary over simple human respect and decency.

If the RFEF had enough voices in-house calling for Rubiales to go, he’d be gone. A man like him will be a problem in a position of power, but only as long as he’s given support and protection from those like him.

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