Luis Rubiales remains defiant amid uproar after he kissed female player on the lips
Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales speaks during an emergency general assembly meeting last Friday in Las Rozas, Spain after he was provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days.
Soccer's world governing body, FIFA, suspended Spanish federation chief Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months on Saturday as it investigates allegations he gave a player an unwanted kiss on the lips after Spain's women won the World Cup.
FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales two days ago over the incident with player Jenni Hermoso last Sunday in Sydney, Australia, that has caused an uproar among players and fans. Rubiales's suspension from national and international activities takes immediate effect, it said on Saturday.
Rubiales said he would use the probe to show his innocence.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued a statement for him, saying Rubiales "will defend himself legally in the competent bodies, has full confidence in the FIFA bodies and reiterates that, in this way, he is being given the opportunity to begin his defence so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven."
Jorge Vilda, the coach of the Spanish women's soccer team, said on Saturday that he regretted the "inappropriate behaviour" of Rubiales.
Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso is seen in a Women's World Cup match in Wellington,
Rubiales played mainly in Spain's second division in a career spanning 12 years. When he was elected to lead the RFEF in 2018, he promised to modernize its structure, increase turnover and make the federation more transparent.
Feminist groups in Spain staged demonstrations in Madrid, Santander and Logrono on Saturday calling for his resignation.
At a federation meeting on Friday where he had been widely expected to step down, Rubiales instead refused to quit, seeking to defend his behaviour and calling the kiss "spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual."
Hermoso said she did not consent to the kiss and felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression."
In a statement hours before FIFA's move on Saturday, the federation said it would show there had been lies told about what happened by Hermoso or people speaking for her and that it would "initiate the corresponding legal actions" to defend Rubiales's honour, without specifying what that would entail.
The Spanish government cannot fire Rubiales but has strongly denounced his actions. On Friday, it said it was seeking to get him suspended using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal.
"Impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office," acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz wrote on social media on Friday.
Gender issues have become a prominent topic in Spain in recent years. Tens of thousands of women have taken part in street marches protesting sexual abuse and violence, and the Socialist-led coalition government has presided over legal reforms, including around equal pay or abortion rights.
Players revolt now includes coaching staff
It was not clear how the FIFA action would affect a players' revolt against Rubiales that expanded to include coaching staff on Saturday.
In a joint statement sent via their FUTPRO union on Friday evening, all 23 of Spain's cup-winning squad, including Hermoso, as well as dozens of other squad members, said they would not play internationals while Rubiales remained head of the federation.
In the same statement, Hermoso denied Rubiales's contention that the kiss was consensual, writing: "I want to clarify that, as was seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I seek to lift the president."
On Saturday evening, Vilda said in a statement to the Spanish news agency EFE: "I am deeply sorry that the victory of Spanish women's football team has been harmed by the inappropriate behaviour that our until now top manager, Luis Rubiales."
Earlier on Saturday, 11 members of the national women's team's coaching staff offered their resignations to the RFEF in a statement where they supported Hermoso and condemned Rubiales.
They complained of "the discomfort" of having been required to attend the federation assembly on Friday and said that "several female members of the technical staff were forced to sit in the front row ... to create the impression that they shared the RFEF president's line."
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