Tag: luis rubiales

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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World Cup champion Spain on strike after Rubiales refuses to step down

Jenni Hermoso has also rejected a claim from the federation president that his kiss was consensual

The entire Spain roster that won the 2023 World Cup said in a joint statement that they will not play for the national team as long as “current leaders” continue in their positions.

The letter, released through the Spanish players’ union FUTPRO, was issued as a response to an extraordinary speech given by Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales earlier on Friday, during which he refused to resign despite widespread reports he would do so.

Rubiales has been under huge pressure after his kiss on the lips of Spain star Jenni Hermoso following Sunday’s World Cup final.

In his speech on Friday, Rubiales insisted that Hermoso had consented to the kiss. But in the letter from FUTPRO, Hermoso flatly denied having done so.

“I want to clarify that, as seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I seek to lift up the president. I do not tolerate my word being questioned, much less words that I haven’t said be made up,” Hermoso said.

A total of 81 players from Spain’s past and present signed the letter, including all 23 on the World Cup roster.

It was unclear if the Spanish players were calling for the ouster of anyone other than Rubiales. The team’s issues with the RFEF long predate the incident between Rubiales and Hermoso, with 15 players going on strike last fall to protest poor working conditions and the methods of head coach Jorge Vilda.

The RFEF, led by Rubiales, backed Vilda, who stayed in charge through the World Cup. Of the 15 players who initially revolted last fall, only three returned to the World Cup roster.

Full letter from Spain women’s national team

As a result of the events that took place this morning and given the perplexity of the speech delivered by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Mr. Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar, the players of the senior team, recent world champions, in support of Jennifer Hermoso, want to express their firm and resounding condemnation of behaviors that have violated the dignity of women.

In view of the statements made by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Jennifer Hermoso wants to flatly deny that she consented to the kiss that Don Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar gave her in the World Cup Final. 

“I want to clarify that, as seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I seek to lift up the president. I do not tolerate my word being questioned, much less words that I haven’t said be made up,” says Hermoso.

From our union we want to emphasize that no woman should feel the need to respond to the forceful images that the whole world has seen and of course, they should not be involved in non-consensual attitudes.

The players of the Spanish national team, current world champions, expect forceful answers from the public powers so that actions such as those contained do not go unpunished.

We want to end this statement, asking for real changes, both sporting and structural, that help the national team to continue growing, in order to transfer this great success to later generations. It fills us with sadness that such an unacceptable event is managing to tarnish the greatest sporting success of Spanish women’s football.

After everything that happened during the Women’s World Cup, we want to state that all the players who sign this letter will not return a call for the national team if the current leaders continue.

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Rubiales goes full ‘Wolf of Wall Street,’ refuses to resign in unhinged speech

The Spanish federation president lashed out at his critics in an explosive rant

Multiple reports said that Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales would resign on Friday, amid a firestorm surrounding his kiss on the lips of Spain star Jenni Hermoso after Sunday’s World Cup final.

But at a RFEF extraordinary general assembly, Rubiales didn’t resign. In fact, he did pretty much the exact opposite.

In an unhinged rant that drew widespread condemnation, the RFEF president essentially reenacted Leonardo DiCaprio’s “I’m not leaving” speech from “The Wolf of Wall Street.”

“Do you think this [incident] is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football?” Rubiales said. “Let me tell you: I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign.

“I’ve come under a lot of pressure. Perhaps somebody will look to remove me on Monday. But we live in a country of laws. Is a consensual kiss enough to remove me? I’m going to fight until the end. I hope the law is followed, and that as there’s no reason to [remove me], it won’t happen.”

Rubiales was initially defiant amid criticism of the kiss, which followed Spain’s World Cup final win over England. But amid a growing firestorm, the RFEF president apologized the following day.

On Friday, it became clear that apology was fully at odds with how Rubiales actually views the incident in question.

“My desire in that moment was exactly the same as if I’d have been kissing one of my daughters,” he said. “No more or less. Everybody understands that. It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual, euphoric and consensual. That’s the key.

“[Hermoso] had missed a penalty. I have a great relationship with all the players. … In the moment that Jenni arrived, she lifted me up off the ground. We almost fell over. We hugged. I said, ‘Forget about the penalty, you’ve been fantastic, we wouldn’t have won the World Cup without you.’ She said: ‘You’re great.’ I said, ‘A kiss?’ and she said: ‘Yes.'”

Rubiales would also call his critics “false feminists.”

“We must know the difference between truth and lies,” he said. “I’m telling the truth. False feminism doesn’t look for justice or truth, it doesn’t care about people. … [Various politicians] have used terms like sexual violence, assault. What will women who have been sexually assaulted think of that?”

The reaction to Rubiales’ speech was swift. The Spanish government’s sports council announced that it would bring a case against Rubiales to the Administrative Court of Sport. That is in addition to the FIFA disciplinary committee inquiry that was opened on Thursday.

Meanwhile, a host of Spanish men’s and women’s national team players from past and present hit out at Rubiales. Here are some of the reactions from players:

FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales

The pressure continues to grow on the Spanish federation president

FIFA has announced that its disciplinary committee has opened proceedings against Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales is under fire for kissing Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal ceremony following Spain’s win over England in Sunday’s World Cup final.

A statement from FIFA issued on Thursday read:

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee informed Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup™ on 20 August 2023.

The events may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will only provide further information on these disciplinary proceedings once it has issued a final decision on the matter.

Hermoso released a statement on Wednesday saying that FUTPRO, the Spanish players’ union, would be representing her in the matter.

FUTPRO would then declare that it was demanding action on behalf of Hermoso, saying: “From our association we ask the Royal Spanish Football Federation to implement the necessary protocols, ensure the rights of our players are upheld and adopt exemplary measures.”

The pressure on Rubiales has been gradually intensifying since the incident, with Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez saying this week that an apology from Rubiales “wasn’t sufficient.”

Enrique Cerezo, the president of Atlético Madrid, said on Thursday that Rubiales should step down, making Atlético the fourth La Liga club to call for the resignation of the federation president.

The Spanish federation has said it will hold an emergency Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday to discuss the issue with Rubiales.

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Rapinoe hits out at ‘deep level of misogyny’ in Spanish federation

Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final

Megan Rapinoe has slammed the Spanish soccer federation and its president Luis Rubiales, who is under fire for kissing Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final.

After Spain beat England in the final, Rubiales embraced Hermoso and kissed her during the post-game medal ceremony.

The incident has drawn widespread criticism, with Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez saying on Tuesday that an apology from Rubiales “wasn’t sufficient.”

Rapinoe has joined in on the chorus of critics, connecting the kiss to more widespread issues between the Spanish federation and its women’s national team.

“[The kiss] made me think about how much we are required to endure,” the U.S. national team forward said in an interview with The Atlantic.

“Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year still aren’t on the team. Maybe that was something that galvanized them, but you shouldn’t have to have that.

“There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man (Rubiales) at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch. What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”

In September of last year, 15 players on the Spain women’s national team wrote identical letters to the Spanish federation demanding widespread changes within the program, including more investment in staff and travel.

The Spanish federation also said those players demanded the ouster of head coach Jorge Vilda. Not only did the federation refuse to fire Vilda, it demanded that any player who sent the letter apologize before being allowed back into the team.

Of the 15 players who wrote the letter, only three were named to the roster that eventually won the World Cup.

The Spanish federation has said it will hold an emergency Extraordinary General Assembly on Friday to discuss the issue with Rubiales.

“Based on the latest events that took place during the award ceremony of the Women’s World Cup won by the Spanish national team last Sunday in Sydney, the federation wishes to inform that the internal proceedings of the federation regarding integrity issues are open, as well as the rest of the applicable protocols,” a statement read.

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Luis Rubiales might not survive this after all

High-ranking Spanish government officials are piling pressure on Rubiales for his kiss of Jenni Hermoso

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales was likely hoping that his apology would do enough to quell the growing storm around his kiss of Spain star Jenni Hermoso.

One day later, however, it looks like Rubiales is still facing some rough waters ahead.

After Spain’s World Cup final win over England on Sunday, Rubiales embraced Hermoso and kissed her on the lips during the post-game medal ceremony.

Though his reaction to criticism around the incident was initially defiant, the RFEF president changed his approach on Monday by releasing a video statement apologizing for the kiss, saying “I made a mistake, for sure.”

But on Tuesday, Rubiales was criticized by no less than Spain’s acting prime minister Pedro Sánchez, who said that the apology from Rubiales “wasn’t sufficient.”

“It shows that in our country there’s a long way to go in terms of equality and respect between men and women,” Sánchez told reporters. “What we saw was an unacceptable gesture.

“I think the apology Mr. Rubiales has given wasn’t sufficient, I’d say it wasn’t adequate, and Mr. Rubiales should keep taking further steps.

He added: “The RFEF isn’t a part of the Spanish government. … The president is chosen or removed by [the federation’s] members. Mr. Rubiales must take further steps to clarify a behavior which is clearly unacceptable. His apology must be more clear and more convincing.”

Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting second deputy prime minister, was even more forceful, saying that Hermoso was “harassed and assaulted” and calling on Rubiales to resign.

“Our most resounding condemnation for what we saw,” Díaz said on social media. “Nothing more and nothing less, a woman has been harassed and assaulted.

“His excuses are useless. What we ask is for the sports law to be applied and for the sport’s federation protocols to be activated. This person should resign.”

As the pressure grows on Rubiales, a report from Relevo on Tuesday provided some potentially damaging details on the behavior of the RFEF in the immediate aftermath of the incident.

Among the items in the report are allegations that Rubiales and head coach Jorge Vilda asked Hermoso multiple times to appear in the president’s apology video, which the striker refused.

Even more alarming is an allegation that a statement attributed to Hermoso, which said of Rubiales: “His behavior with everyone has been excellent and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude,” was reportedly written by the RFEF and not approved by the player herself.

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Rubiales changes tune, apologizes for kissing Hermoso after World Cup final

The apology was in stark contrast to the initial reaction from Spain’s FA president

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has apologized for kissing Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips after Sunday’s World Cup final victory.

After Hermoso was presented with her winner’s medal, Rubiales embraced the forward and then kissed her in a move that drew widespread condemnation.

With pressure building, Rubiales released a video statement on Monday in which he apologized for his actions.

“I made a mistake, for sure,” Rubiales said. “I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side.

“Here we saw it as something natural and normal. But on the outside it has caused a stir, because people have felt hurt by it, so I have to apologize; there’s no alternative. I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation — above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing — should be more careful.

“There are also some things which I said where, within this context, I said it seemed like idiocy. On the inside, nobody had seen it as important, but on the outside they had. So I want to apologize to those people. I’m sure they’ll have their reasons. I’m also saddened, because this is the biggest success in our history in women’s football, the second World Cup that we’ve won, and this has affected the celebration.”

Rubiales initially defiant

Monday’s apology was in stark contrast to the initial reaction of Rubiales, who was was defiant when asked about the incident on the “El Partidazo de COPE” radio show in Spain.

“It’s a peck between two friends celebrating something,” Rubiales said on Sunday. “Let’s ignore the fools and the idiots. Let’s ignore them and enjoy the good things. If there are fools, let them continue with their nonsense. Let’s pay attention to those who are not fools.”

Rubiales was condemned by leading figures in the world of soccer, including Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker and San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney.

Spain’s minister of culture and sports, Miquel Iceta, also called the actions of Rubiales “unacceptable” in a statement to RTVE radio.

“It seems unacceptable to me,” Iceta said. “We are experiencing a sporting event… but we are also living in a moment of equality. We live in a moment of rights and respect for women. So we all must be especially careful in our attitudes and actions. I think it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her.”

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Spain FA president celebrates World Cup title by being huge creep

Luis Rubiales is under fire after kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips

Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales is under fire for kissing Spain forward Jennifer Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of the country’s World Cup triumph.

The kiss took place in plain view, with Hermoso greeting Rubiales and other dignitaries (including Spain’s Queen Letizia) on stage after receiving her winner’s medal. The pair shared an embrace before Rubiales firmly kissed the forward on the lips.

The moment has sparked a host of criticism in the aftermath of Spain’s World Cup title, which came with a 1-0 win over England in Sunday’s final in Sydney.

In a video from the Spain locker room posted on Instagram, Hermoso says of the kiss: “I didn’t like it.” Another video shows Rubiales saying the RFEF will pay for a trip to Ibiza, where he is planning to marry Hermoso.

For his part, Rubiales was defiant when asked about the incident on the “El Partidazo de COPE” radio show in Spain.

“It’s a peck between two friends celebrating something,” Rubiales said. “Let’s ignore the fools and the idiots. Let’s ignore them and enjoy the good things. If there are fools, let them continue with their nonsense. Let’s pay attention to those who are not fools.”

Among the voices speaking out against Rubiales were Netherlands head coach Andries Jonker and San Diego Wave head coach Casey Stoney. It’s likely we haven’t heard the end of this.

Sergio Ramos en la mira por pedir ayuda para ganar el Balón de Oro

El defensor español Sergio Ramos está en la mira por solicitar ayuda para ganar el Balón de Oro en el año 2019 cuando estuvo nominado por el gran año con el Real Madrid. Un audio que difundirá el medio El Confidencial en los próximos días contiene …

El defensor español Sergio Ramos está en la mira por solicitar ayuda para ganar el Balón de Oro en el año 2019 cuando estuvo nominado por el gran año con el Real Madrid.

Un audio que difundirá el medio El Confidencial en los próximos días contiene una llamada donde el defensor español le solicita al presidente de la Real Federación Española de Futbol, Luis Rubiales ‘favores especiales’ a cambio del galardón.

“Rubi, buenas noches, espero que estés bien junto a toda la familia. Sabes que nunca te he pedido nada, pero si lo quiero hacer hoy es porque creo que es un año especial por el rendimiento que he dado“, fueron las palabras con las que Sergio Ramos inició su mensaje .

“Te lo agradecería toda la vida. No sólo por mí, sino también porque creo que el fútbol español lo merece muchísimo. Te mando un abrazo“, finaliza.

Lo cierto es que Ramos pide ayuda por el beneficio del futbol español, pero sin duda muestra cómo se mueven las grandes esferas de la política en el futbol.

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