Spain opens legal case to try and force Rubiales out, as football chief breaks his silence

The Spanish government has begun a move to oust suspended football chief Luis Rubiales, who ended a week of silence on Friday by insisting he was the victim of a smear campaign.

Rubiales has come in for a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation for his behaviour during and after Spain’s recent Women’s World Cup triumph in Sydney. He kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent and grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture. ALSO READ: Top players say ‘unacceptable’ after Spain’s football chief refuses to quit over kiss.

On Friday, a Spanish government legal panel handling sports issues opened a formal case against Rubiales — president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and a vice-president of UEFA — over his conduct that was televised globally, making him a national embarrassment. ALSO READ: Rubiales’ mother discharged from hospital after ending hunger strike in church.

Spain is hoping to remove him independently of a FIFA process that has already suspended him provisionally. The government panel will decide if Rubiales abused his authority by kissing Hermoso or damaged the image and reputation of Spain at a sporting event, as the government claims. He could be banned from office for two years. ALSO READ: FIFA provisionally suspends Rubiales, as RFEF threatens to sue protesting female players.

‘When the eyes of the world were played on our players, his acts caused damage to our sport and our country that is difficult to repair,’ said Miquel Iceta, Spain’s acting minister of culture and sport.

Following the decision by the panel, Rubiales made his first public statement since refusing to step down a week ago and claiming he was a victim of a ‘witch hunt’ by ‘false feminists’. ALSO READ: ‘Harassment, assault … denigrating Spanish sport’ – pressure grows on Rubiales to resign.

‘I committed some evident mistakes, for which I sincerely repent,’ Rubiales said on Friday. He insisted the kiss with Hermoso was ‘mutual, consensual and occurred in a moment of euphoria’ — a characterisation that the player firmly denies.

He added he participated in FIFA’s investigation as well as the federation’s own internal probe.

‘During all this time I have suffered an unprecedented lynching by news outlets and politicians that has completely marginalized me. Not just in Spain but internationally,’ he said in his statement published on X (formerly Twitter).

The decision by the panel, however, to consider Rubiales’ acts as allegedly ‘serious’ as opposed to ‘very serious’ dealt a setback to the government. If they had been deemed ‘very serious’ charges, the government could have moved to declare him suspended from office until the panel rules on his case.

Iceta said that while the government cannot directly suspend Rubiales while awaiting the outcome of his case before the panel, as was its intention, it will ask the legal panel to consider suspending him provisionally anyway. There is no time limit for the legal panel to make a ruling in the case.

FIFA has already suspended Rubiales for 90 days while it carries out its disciplinary case, so the Spanish decision will have little immediate effect. The panel decision does put more pressure on Rubiales as his few original supporters try to distance themselves from him.

Spain men’s coach Luis de la Fuente, who applauded Rubiales’ diatribe against feminism last week, apologised on Friday for having clapped, saying, ‘I made a human error. It was inexcusable.’

In a statement last Saturday, Hermoso said she considered herself the victim of abuse of power and accused the federation (RFEF) of trying to pressure her into supporting Rubiales.

The RFEF initially hit back by saying she was lying and it would take legal action against her. But following the FIFA suspension, the federation on Monday urged Rubiales to step down.

On Tuesday, the RFEF suspended Rubiales’ wages and ordered him to return the federation car, his laptop and mobile phone.

Rubiales has been left with virtually no supporters. His mother staged a brief hunger strike in a church in southern Spain, demanding justice for her son and calling on Hermoso to rectify her stance. ALSO READ: Rubiales’ mother discharged from hospital after ending hunger strike in church.

Meanwhile, support for Hermoso from Spanish and international officials, athletes and celebrities was overwhelming.

On Friday, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, said he urged Rubiales ‘to say sorry, explain what he did and then, without doubt, consider resigning’.

Small protests were held against Rubiales in Madrid, Barcelona and other cities on Friday night.

On Thursday, Spain women’s star Aitana Bonmatí was voted best player of the year and used her acceptance speech at the UEFA awards ceremony to voice support for Hermoso.

‘As a society, we cannot allow the abuse of power in a working environment or disrespect,’ Bonmatí said on stage in Monte Carlo. ‘To all women who are suffering the same thing as Jenni, we’re with you.’

Earlier in the week, the United Nations Human Rights office said in a social media message, ‘We join Spain’s Jenni Hermoso and all those working to end abuse and sexism in sport. Make this a turning point.’

The England women’s team coach, Sarina Wiegman, won the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year, and in her acceptance speech (see video in Tweet below), she said: ‘I would like to dedicate this award to Spain’s women’s national team … They deserve to be celebrated and listened to.’

"I would like to dedicate this award to Spain's women's national team"

"They deserve to be celebrated and listened to"

UEFA Women's Coach of the Year, Sarina Wiegman with a beautiful message 👏#UEFAawards pic.twitter.com/46b7ysCLKm
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) August 31, 2023