Spanish soccer federation head refuses to resign over ‘forced kiss’ controversy…”It’s social assassination!” explodes

Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales has refused to step down despite the controversy surrounding him.

“Rubiales has refused to step down as president of the Spanish soccer federation,” the British public broadcaster BBC reported on Friday.스포츠토토

Spain’s women’s soccer team won its first-ever World Cup title on Sept. 20, beating England 1-0 in the final at Stadium Australia in Sydney, Australia. It was the first title for the women’s national team, and the players were overjoyed. However, the celebration has been overshadowed by the controversy surrounding Rubiales’ behavior at the awards ceremony.

After being crowned World Cup champions, the Spanish women’s team was presented with their awards when Rubiales, who was on the podium, hugged Hermoso, grabbed her face with both hands and immediately kissed her. Rubiales’ behavior constitutes sexual misconduct if it is done without the other person’s consent.

The controversy over his behavior grew afterward, when Hermoso smiled when asked about the situation during an Instagram live in the locker room and said he “didn’t feel good” about it.

Initially, Rubiales maintained a brazen demeanor despite the potentially troubling behavior, telling Radio Marca, “Kissing Hermoso? Everyone says stupid things,” and insisting that he didn’t mean anything by it.

Hermoso, who was also involved in the incident, seemed to put the matter to rest when he clarified the situation on live television. “It was an expression of intimacy,” Hermoso said through the Spanish Football Federation. It was a spontaneous gesture that came from the immense joy of winning the World Cup. I have no problem with my relationship with the president.” However, despite Hermos’ comments, the criticism of his behavior has not diminished.

Many public figures and media outlets condemned Rubiales, with Spain’s Minister of Culture and Sports, Mikel Iseta, tweeting, “For me, it’s unacceptable. We live in an era of equality, rights, and respect for women,” and “We all have to be careful with our attitudes and behavior. I think it’s unacceptable to kiss an athlete on the lips to congratulate them.”

Following the outcry and calls for his resignation, Rubiales eventually apologized for his actions. In his apology video, he said, “I certainly made a mistake. It happened in the heat of the moment, without any malicious intent, and I thought it was natural, but it made a ripple out there. I have to apologize because some people were hurt,” he said, adding, “I have to learn from this and I will be more careful as the president of an important organization.”

“This is the biggest success in the history of women’s soccer and the second World Cup that we, Spain, have won, and I am sad that this incident has affected the celebrations,” he said, apologizing for the fact that his mistake had tarnished some of the achievements of the Spanish women’s team.

As the incident escalated and FIFA launched an investigation into the incident, there were reports that Rubiales would soon step down as president.

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has informed Luis Rubiales, President of the Royal Spanish Football Association, that it will initiate disciplinary proceedings against him on the basis of an incident that occurred during the Women’s World Cup Final. “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has informed Luis Rubiales, the President of the Royal Spanish Football Association, that it will initiate disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that took place during the Women’s World Cup Final.” “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will provide further information on the disciplinary proceedings once it has made a final decision on the matter,” FIFA said in a statement about the investigation into Rubiales.

“After FIFA’s investigation began on Aug. 24, Rubiales will announce his resignation on Aug. 25,” the Spanish newspaper Cadena Ser explained.

Contrary to Cadena Ser’s report, however, Rubiales refused to step down, claiming that the controversies and allegations against him were an attempt at social assassination.

“Rubiales has refused to resign despite his behavior since the Women’s World Cup final, telling an extraordinary general assembly convened by his association that ‘I am not resigning’ and claiming that ‘social assassination is taking place,'” according to the BBC.

According to the report, Rubiales insisted that his behavior was meant to comfort Hermoso: “It was a spontaneous kiss. It was a mutual, happy, consensual kiss, and that’s the key. Can I get out of this controversy with only agreed facts? I will fight this to the end,” he said, retracting his apology and insisting that he would keep his position.

However, Rubiales’ other controversial behavior, such as grabbing the queen and princess by the crotch while standing next to them, may not be enough to convince fans of his “social assassination” claim.

Meanwhile, despite Rumiales’ claims, an investigation will be conducted into his behavior, and the criticism continues to mount.

“This incident cannot go unpunished,” said Futpro, the players’ union representative, “The union has protected the interests of the players in this matter.”

Spain’s leading newspaper El País published an editorial titled “Hermoso didn’t like Rubiales’ kiss. Neither did we,” El País wrote in an editorial that set the tone for the day of criticism. “The president of the Spanish Football Association may have been misunderstood, but suddenly kissing (someone’s) mouth is an ‘attack,'” El País wrote, adding that “the ‘thief kiss’ is not always surprising and pleasant. On the contrary, it is an invasion.” Spain’s Equality Minister Irene Montero also criticized the practice on social media, saying, “Don’t take kissing without consent for granted, it’s part of the sexual violence that women face every day.”

“The president got off the same plane as the national team, but he was not seen taking pictures in Spain. He did not expose himself to public judgment,” Spain’s Relevo reported on his return, adding that Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Díaz had called for Rubiales’ removal.

The controversy over Rubiales, who has vowed to stay on as president, is set to continue, but the claims of “social assassination” are likely to increase the outcry over his behavior.