Legal Committee in Spain Initiates Proceedings Against Suspended Football Executive Over Unconsented World Cup Kiss

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A legal committee under the auspices of the Spanish government has initiated proceedings against the suspended head of soccer, Luis Rubiales, for kissing a player on the lips without her consent following Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup.

Miquel Iceta, the acting Minister of Culture and Sport, along with the committee, made the announcement this past Friday. Rubiales has attracted extensive criticism and demands for his resignation due to his conduct both during and subsequent to the recent World Cup final held in Sydney.

Although FIFA has already imposed a 90-day suspension on Rubiales while it reviews the matter, Spain aims to take separate action. Rubiales serves as the President of the Spanish Football Federation and is also a Vice President of UEFA.

Iceta noted that while the government lacks the direct authority to suspend Rubiales, it intends to request the legal committee to contemplate provisional suspension. “We continue to maintain that his actions should be classified as extremely grave misconduct,” Iceta stated.

Rubiales’ actions have caused “irreparable damage to both our sport and national reputation at a time when the global spotlight was on our athletes,” added Iceta.

The legal committee indicated that it would examine Rubiales’ actions under two potential cases of severe misconduct. The government aspires for the committee to categorize his actions as extremely grave misconduct, a classification that would permit the national sports body to provisionally ban him with the aim of ultimately deeming him unfit for his role. If found culpable of grave misconduct, Rubiales could face disqualification for a period of up to two years.

The committee’s decision adds further pressure on Rubiales, who was suspended by FIFA the previous Saturday. Following his suspension, Rubiales made a contentious speech, arguing that the kiss was consensual and that he was the subject of a witch hunt. Despite refusing to resign, he received applause from the majority of the Spanish federation members who were present at the public meeting.

Among those who applauded was Spain’s men’s coach Luis de la Fuente, who subsequently expressed regret on Friday, stating, “I committed a human error. It was inexcusable.”

The player at the center of the controversy, Jenni Hermoso, rebuffed Rubiales’ claim of consensual action. Last Saturday, Hermoso issued a statement declaring herself a victim of abuse of power and accusing the federation of attempting to coerce her into backing Rubiales. Initially, the federation retorted by alleging that she was deceitful and threatened legal action against her. However, following the FIFA suspension, the federation recommended Rubiales’ resignation on Monday.

Since last Friday, Rubiales has been largely silent and has found himself virtually devoid of backers. His mother briefly undertook a hunger strike in a church in southern Spain, demanding justice for her son and urging Hermoso to revise her stance.

In contrast, overwhelming support for Hermoso has been forthcoming from national and international officials, athletes, and celebrities. Alejandro Blanco, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, advised Rubiales to apologize, clarify his actions, and potentially consider stepping down. Moreover, Aitana Bonmatí, Spain’s women’s soccer star, voiced her support for Hermoso during her acceptance speech for the player of the year at the UEFA awards ceremony.

Earlier this week, the United Nations Human Rights office expressed solidarity with Hermoso via social media, stating, “We join Spain’s Jenni Hermoso and all those working to end abuse and sexism in sport. Make this a turning point.”

The legal committee has not specified a deadline for rendering a decision in the case.

Source: AP Soccer: https://bigbignews.net/soccer

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More about Luis Rubiales Suspension

• FIFA Official Statement on Luis Rubiales Suspension
• Spanish Government’s Announcement on Legal Proceedings
• Jenni Hermoso’s Official Statement
• Spanish Football Federation’s Response
• United Nations Human Rights Office Support for Jenni Hermoso
• Alejandro Blanco’s Remarks on the Case
• Aitana Bonmatí’s UEFA Acceptance Speech
• Original AP Soccer Article