Spanish FA President Rubiales refuses to quit over World Cup kiss

Luis Rubiales has strongly criticised what he referred to as “false feminism” and a deliberate attempt to tarnish his reputation. Despite facing intense backlash and an ongoing investigation by Fifa for kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the Women’s World Cup final trophy presentation, Rubiales expressed his determination to continue serving as the head of Spain’s football federation (RFEF).

During an extraordinary general assembly of the RFEF, the 46-year-old delivered a passionate speech, emphasising that he would not be compelled to step down from his position due to what he perceived as a witch hunt. Amidst widespread applause, he reiterated his determination by stating, “I will not resign,” a total of five times. I am determined to fight this until the very end.

Several media outlets had reported that Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will be submitting his resignation today, after being widely condemned for kissing player, Jenni Hermoso on the mouth after Spain won the Women’s World Cup last Sunday, August 20^th.

After the game, Hermoso posted a video to Instagram from the locker room responding to teasing from her teammates by saying, “I didn’t like it” while laughing. In a statement released on her behalf by the federation, she also wrote that it was “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings”.

Rubiales went to social media the following Monday to post an apology video. “It was done without any ill intention in a moment of the highest exuberance. Here we saw it as natural and normal, but outside it has caused a commotion,” said Rubiales. “I have no choice but to apologise and to learn from this … and when representing the federation, take more care,” he said, adding he also had a “magnificent relationship” with Hermoso.

Social media users as well as Spanish politicians have called for his resignation including Prime Minster Pedro Sanchez who said his apology was “insufficient” “I also think the apologies given by Rubiales are insufficient. And I even think that they are inappropriate and that he must go further,” Sanchez said at a news conference on Tuesday.

Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz also called for Rubiales’s resignation, saying “his excuses do not work at all”, and Equality Minister Irene Montero said a nonconsensual kiss is “a kind of sex violence all women suffer daily.”

The 46-year-old was expected to be submitting his resignation at an extraordinary general assembly of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) where he instead told everyone, he had no intention of quitting.