Spain’s soccer president says he won’t resign over unsolicited kiss

Luis Rubiales, the president of Spain’s soccer federation, refused to resign Friday over the unsolicited kiss he gave team member Jenni Hermoso during the ceremony after Spain’s World Cup victory Sunday.

“I won’t resign,” Rubiales defiantly repeated four times during an emergency meeting called by the Real Federación Española de Fútbol. The 46-year-old claimed the efforts to oust him from the position he has held since 2018 were being led by “false feminists,” and said the kiss on Hermoso’s lips was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual.”

Rubiales’s speech drew applause from Spain Coach Jorge Vilda among others in attendance. His comments came amid reports that he would step down and one day after FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, announced it had initiated disciplinary proceedings against him amid criticism from Spanish governmental and sports officials, including the union representing Spain’s soccer players, this week. Calls for Rubiales’s removal continued Friday.

“This is unacceptable,” Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas tweeted Friday. “It’s over.”

Borja Iglesias, a forward for Spain’s men’s national team, tweeted that he was “sad and disappointed” and that he would not return to the team “until things change.”

U.S. women’s national team forward Alex Morgan tweeted that she was “disgusted” by Rubiales’s actions. “I stand by @Jennihermoso and the Spanish players,” Morgan wrote. “Winning a World Cup should be one of the best moments in these players’ lives but instead it’s overshadowed by assault, misogyny, and failures by the Spanish federation.”

Yolanda Diaz, Spain’s acting labor minister, called for Rubiales’s resignation Monday. After Friday’s meeting, she urged the government to act to remove him. Victor Francos, the president of Spain’s Sports Council, vowed to submit a complaint to Spain’s Administrative Court for Sports, which could find Rubiales unfit for office. Real Madrid of Spain’s La Liga issued a statement saying the club supports the government’s decision to bring the case before the Administrative Court for Sports.

In an Instagram Live video that showed Spanish players celebrating after Sunday’s 1-0 win over England, Hermoso, the 33-year-old who is the country’s leading career goal scorer, said that she “didn’t like” the unexpected kiss. In a statement attributed to her and released by the Spanish football federation, Hermoso called it “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup gives.” In a subsequent statement, Hermoso said her agent and the players’ union representing her would “defend my interests and speak on my behalf.” The union said it was “working so that the acts like the ones we witnessed don’t go unpunished.”

Rubiales addressed the incident on Monday in a video statement, saying he “made a mistake” and “if there are people who have felt offended, I have to say I’m sorry.”

“There’s an event, which I have to regret, which is everything that happened between the player and I, with a magnificent relationship between the two of us, the same as with the others,” Rubiales said.

Pedro Sánchez, Spain’s acting prime minister, called Rubiales’s semi-apology insufficient.

“What we saw was an unacceptable gesture,” Sánchez said. “I think the apology Mr. Rubiales has given wasn’t sufficient. I’d say it wasn’t adequate, and Mr. Rubiales should keep taking further steps.”

Rubiales defended his actions Friday, suggesting that Hermoso initiated the kiss by lifting him off the ground, and claiming that she said “yes” after he asked her for a kiss. He compared the display of affection to kissing one of his daughters. Rubiales did apologize Friday for grabbing his crotch after Spain’s win while standing near Queen Letizia of Spain and 16-year-old Princess Sofía.