Photo: Pablo Blazquez Dominguez / Getty Images
Players of the Spanish men’s soccer team have labeled the recent actions of the president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation, Luis Rubiales, as “unacceptable behavior.”
Without expressly referring to the kiss on the mouth that Rubiales gave to the player Jenni Hermoso during the celebrations for the title of Spain in the 2023 Women’s World Cup, the statement signed by the players says that Rubiales “It has not lived up to the institution it represents” and that “recent events have damaged the image of Spanish football.”
Rubiales has resisted giving up because of the kiss, which Hermoso says was not consensual.
In its statement, the men’s team states: “We want to convey our pride and the most sincere congratulations to the women’s team. It will mark a before and after in women’s football.
“We want to regret and express our solidarity with the players who have seen their success tarnished.
“We stand firmly and clearly on the side of the values that sport represents,” he adds.
“Spanish football must be the engine of respect, inspiration, equality and diversity, and it must set an example with its conduct both on and off the pitch.”
The words of the soccer players of the national team come two weeks after the events and after several days of scandal.
Rubiales’ conduct
Rubiales also made an obscene gesture by putting his hand to his genitals while celebrating the victory in the same VIP area where Queen Leticia and her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofia were on August 20.
Initially, FIFA suspended Rubiales for 90 days, and the Administrative Court of Sport (TAD), the highest authority to settle these cases in Spain, began an investigation for misconduct that finally qualified as “serious misconduct”.
Rubiales has accepted that he “made mistakes”, but insists on saying that the kiss was consensual.
“I will continue defending myself to demonstrate the truth,” he said last Friday.
The footballers’ statement was presented to the media at a press conference, and was read aloud by Spanish team striker Álvaro Morata. He was accompanied by the players Marco Asensio, César Azpilicueta and Rodri.
“We want to convey, once again, our pride and our most sincere congratulations to the Women’s National Team for the title of World Champions in Sydney,” said Morata.
“A historical milestone loaded with meaning that will mark a before and after in Spanish women’s football, inspiring many women with a priceless triumph. For this reason, we want to regret and express our solidarity with the players who have seen their success marred.”
The Spanish men’s team is concentrated with a view to the qualifying matches for Euro 2024 against Georgia on Friday, and Cyprus on Tuesday the 12th.
“We would like that from now on we could focus on sports issues given the relevance of the challenges that lie ahead”.
What else has happened?
On August 28, Spanish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation to establish whether the incident could be considered a crime of sexual assault. Simultaneously, the regional leaders of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) called for Rubiales’ resignation.
The manager’s mother locked herself in a church the same day and went on an “indefinite hunger strike” to protest how her son was being treated. She was taken to the hospital two days later, and was released the next day.
Alejandro Blanco, the highest authority of the Spanish Olympic Committee, said that Rubiales’ actions were “inappropriate and unacceptable”, but that an “isolated incident” does not represent the sport in Spain.
A video also surfaced in which Hermoso and her teammates apparently laugh and discuss the kiss on the bus after the game.
The 33-year-old woman, a player for the Mexican team Pachuca, denied in a statement that the kiss was consensual and added: “I feel the need to denounce this fact since I consider that no person, in any work, sports or social field should be a victim of this type of non-consensual behavior.
“I felt vulnerable and the victim of aggression, an impulsive, sexist, out of place act and without any kind of consent on my part.”
In addition, he said he was under “continuous pressure” to issue a statement that could “help justify” Rubiales’ actions, as were his family, friends and colleagues.
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See original article on BBC