The head of Spain’s football federation, Luis Rubiales, resigned on Sunday, weeks after kissing a member of the Spanish women’s team on the lips after the team won the World Cup last month. perpetuating sexism in sports.
In a statement posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, on Sunday, Mr Rubiales said he had resigned as president of the federation and as vice-president of UEFA, European football’s governing body.
“After the swift suspension by FIFA, plus the rest of the proceedings against me, it is clear that I will not be able to return to my position,” he wrote. “My daughters, my family and the people who love me have suffered disproportionately from the consequences of persecution, as well as from many untruths, but it is also true that on the streets the truth is becoming more prevalent every day.”
Mr Rubiales, 46, was largely unrepentant for his actions, but pressure on him and the group he leads, formally known as the Royal Spanish Football Federation, had increased and it became clear that his position was untenable as the outrage against him showed no signs of decline.
Spanish prosecutors opened a sexual assault case on Friday after player Jennifer Hermoso, who said she felt “vulnerable” and a “victim of an attack” when he kissed her, filed a formal complaint and there were signs of resistance to his continued presence at the top of Spanish football, every time.
The football federation had called on him to resign ‘immediately’, female players had said they would not take the field for the national team while he was in charge, the men’s team had condemned his actions, and FIFA, football’s governing body, had him suspended for 90 days.
Some commentators have described the events as a turning point in Spain’s #MeToo movement, as they highlighted the divide between machismo traditions and more recent progressivism, making Spain a European vanguard in feminism and equality.
The controversy centers on the behavior of Mr. Rubiales, who kissed Ms. Hermoso, one of the team’s star players, after Spain beat England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney, Australia, on August 20.
The next day he issued a lukewarm apology, but by the end of that week he had dug in his heels and reversed course, insisting that Ms. Hermoso had “brought me close to her body” during their meeting at the stage, a stone’s throw from the Spanish queen. . He also accused his critics of being the target of a “social murder” and declared he would not resign.
Ms Hermoso has vigorously disputed his story and has received support from players and others everywhere – including the United Nations Human Rights Office – use the hashtag ‘se acabó’ or ‘it’s over’.
The Spanish government was limited in its ability to punish Rubiales, but Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez called the football chief’s actions “unacceptable,” and opposition People’s Party secretary Cuca Gamarra called them “shameful.”
The scandal has taken some of the shine off the national team’s World Cup triumph, diverting attention from the meteoric rise to football glory by a side that qualified for the tournament for the first time eight years ago, after decades of mediocrity.
On Sunday evening, Mr. Rubiales gave an interview on “Piers Morgan Uncensored,” saying he came to the decision to resign after speaking to friends and family. “They say to me, ‘Luis, now you have to focus on your dignity and get on with your life, or you’re probably going to harm the people you love,’” he said.
Víctor Francos, the president of Spain’s National Sports Council, said on Onda Cero radio that Mr. Rubiales’ resignation was “news for the government” and “what the citizens were asking for.” A few minutes earlier, he said on radio station Cadena Ser that the government was “considering legislative changes that could improve, strengthen and enrich public control over the federations.”
“We have to think so that some of the things that happened don’t happen again,” he said.
But Mr. Rubiales was not without his supporters.
When he spoke at a federation meeting in late August, his robust defense was met with loud applause by some in the audience, and his mother locked herself in a church and began a hunger strike in protest against what she perceived as a witch hunt against her son.
Before Rubiales was punished, the controversy led to the ouster of another prominent figure in the world of Spanish women’s football: Jorge Vilda, the coach of the World Cup-winning side but a polarizing figure, who was sacked on Tuesday.
Mr Vilda, who was hired in 2015 when his predecessor was ousted over sexism allegations, has been dogged by scandals in recent months. And last year, 15 star players refused to play for the national team, complaining about Mr Vilda’s controlling behavior and a general culture of sexism.