Women’s and men’s players and clubs join politicians in condemning football chief’s refusal to resign
For a brief moment, it looked like it would be a victory for feminism. After days of uproar across Spain and around the world, media reports had suggested that Spain’s football chief, Luis Rubiales, would step down over the kiss he planted on forward Jenni Hermoso’s lips during the Women’s World Cup medal presentation on Sunday.
Yet instead of announcing his departure at an emergency meeting of the football federation on Friday, he left many Spaniards in shock by defiantly declaring “I will not resign” five times in a meandering speech that hit out at “false feminism” while also seeking to portray himself as a victim and recast the kiss as “a peck”.
The Spanish government said it would take immediate legal action to make good on its earlier promise to take action against Rubiales if the federation – which counts just six women among its 140 members – did not.
“What we have seen today at the federation’s assembly is unacceptable,” Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting labour minister and second deputy prime minister said on social media. “The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for chauvinistic actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in the position.”
Late on Friday, several high-ranking members of the federation reportedly resigned, including Rafael del Amo, who oversaw women’s football, and a handful of others who represented the federation in regions across the country.
But Rubiales’ attack on feminism had earlier drawn hearty applause among the federation members in attendance, including Jorge Vilda, the coach of the Spanish women’s national team, and men’s national team coach, Luis de la Fuente.
As media prepped stories on Rubiales’ resignation, the 46-year-old had other ideas.
