Spanish Federation president Luis Rubiales kisses a player after winning the World Cup. Photo: AFP
Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales on Friday refused to quit for grabbing star player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissing her on the lips after Spain's Women's World Cup victory, leading 56 national team members to mutiny and the government to denounce his "macho actions".
In a joint statement sent via their FUTPRO union, all 23 of the cup-winning squad including Hermoso, as well as 32 other squad members said they would not play internationals while Rubiales remains head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
In the same statement, Hermoso denied Rubiales' allegation that the kiss he gave her at the medal ceremony after Spain beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, was consensual.
"I do not tolerate it when my word is put into doubt and less so when words that I have not said are invented," she wrote.
At an emergency meeting of the federation called for Friday Rubiales had been widely expected to stand down. But instead he said he refused to quit and complained that "false feminists" were "trying to kill me".
He called the kiss a "little peck" that was "spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual". He also claimed that he asked Hermoso if he could kiss her and that she said "OK".
"Is a consensual peck going to take me out of here? I won't resign. I will fight until the end," said Rubiales, 46, drawing applause from the predominantly male audience.
The government, which cannot sack Rubiales, will seek to have him suspended using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal, the head of the state-run sports council CSD, Victor Francos, told reporters.
"We want all this to be a 'Me Too' of Spanish soccer," Francos said.
Criticism of Rubiales' behaviour after Spain's win has built throughout the week, and acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz called his speech on Friday "unacceptable".
She wrote on social media: "The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office."
Acting Equality Minister Irene Montero said the state prosecutor and the CSD should act to protect Hermoso.
FIFA opened disciplinary procedures against Rubiales on Thursday after Hermoso said in a statement her union was working to defend her interests and that such acts should "never go unpunished".
Rubiales' comments on Friday and the applause he received at the event were widely scorned on social media.
In a post on X, journalist Javier Gallego Crudo described the meeting as "an assembly where a man, cornered by his own misogynist actions, ends up attacking feminism... blames the woman and is applauded by other men. No better illustration of patriarchy".
The government said it had started a proceeding to take Sunday's incident before a sports tribunal. If it can be proven that the kiss was non-consensual, Rubiales could even be tried under a sexual violence law introduced by the ruling Socialists last year.
A tribunal would have seven members, three of them women, and Francos said the CSD could suspend Rubiales during the investigation if the tribunal agrees.
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.
The coalition government has presided over legal reforms including around equal pay, abortion, sex work and transgender rights.
"This is unacceptable. It-s over. We're with you, teammate Jenni Hermoso," fellow player Alexia Putellas said on X after Friday's federation meeting.
Some male players also protested.
Borja Iglesias of Real Betis, who last played for Spain in 2022, said on X he would not put himself forward for selection for the national team "until things change and these kinds of acts don't remain unpunished".
At the event on Sunday, Rubiales was also seen grabbing his crotch in celebration while standing next to Queen Letizia in a box at the stadium, for which he apologised on Friday.
The international football players union FIFPro said in a statement it had written to UEFA, where Rubiales is vice president, requesting that it start disciplinary proceedings. UEFA declined to comment.
"I am embarrassed by the shame that it continues to be for Spanish football to have a president of the (RFEF) who continues to cling to office," FIFPro President David Aganzo said.
Rubiales met with key federation members shortly before the assembly and told them about his plans not to resign, according to a federation source.
The only person who objected was Rafael del Amo, president of the national committee for women's football, who said he would step down from his roles, which also included the vice presidency of the federation.
-REUTERS