Luis Rubiales refused to resign from his position as president of the Spanish FA and blamed World Cup star Jenni Hermoso for his kiss in a wild press convention.
Rubiales has been broadly criticised after kissing Hermoso on the mouth within the aftermath of Spain’s first-ever Women’s World Cup victory. Video later emerged of Rubiales grabbing his crotch in celebration in shut proximity to the Queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter.
Speaking to media on Friday, when he had been anticipated to resign and with the media briefed on his alternative, Rubiales doubled down on his place saying that he would battle to clear his identify in courtroom if essential, and calling out a “false feminism” witchhunt for the criticism.
He loudly informed these gathered: “No I am not going to resign,” and reiterated himself quite a few instances, whereas a number of the viewers, together with controversial Spain ladies’s head coach Jorge Vilda and Spain’s males’s head coach Luis de la Fuente, applauded his assertion.
It was a weird press convention. He defended the kiss, saying: “Jenni was the one who lifted me up. I told her to ‘forget about the penalty’ and I said to her ‘a little peck?’ and she said ‘OK’.
“It was a spontaneous kiss. Mutual, euphoric and consensual. That’s the key.
“A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end.”
Hermoso herself stated after the match, when requested concerning the kiss: “Er…no I did not like that,” and has launched a press release alongside along with her union Futpro calling for measures in opposition to Rubiales.
However, the president added in his speech: “Whoever watches the video will see the desire in that kiss is the same as with one of my daughters. There is no desire or dominance.
“It’s not what is being pushed in the media and feminism. The kiss was spontaneous, mutual and consensual.”
In an much more unusual flip of phrase, he stated {that a} “social assassination was taking place here” and that “I am ready to be vilified to defend my ideals”.
He added: “I apologise unreservedly but I don’t deserve this manhunt I have been suffering.”
Rubiales added, on his actions within the field: “I want to apologise unreservedly for something that happened in the presidential box, when in a moment of euphoria I grabbed a part of my body,” he stated.
“Look, I got very excited and I lost control. I have to apologise to the royal family because it is a very unedifying gesture.”
Yesterday, the 46-year-old was being described as “cornered” by these with data of the state of affairs, as giant quantities of public criticism have led to 3 formal complaints over whether or not his behaviour constituted an infraction of Spain’s sports activities legislation, which sanctions in opposition to sexist acts.
Fifa additionally opened its personal investigation on Thursday and launched the assertion: “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. Fifa reiterates its unwavering commitment to respecting the integrity of all individuals and strongly condemns any behaviour to the contrary.”
The sections of the disciplinary code referenced within the Fifa assertion cowl “offensive behaviour and violations of the principles of fair play”.
An extra dimension to the story is that it’s now being seen as probably influencing Spain’s World Cup bid for 2030, which Rubiales has been central to, such is the worldwide publicity.