Luis Rubiales will resign on Friday as president of the Spanish football federation, after he sparked international outrage by giving a nonconsensual kiss on the lips to a Spain player as she celebrated her team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
The football boss will step down on Friday after a week of recriminations, as first reported by Spanish media Thursday evening and confirmed to POLITICO by a senior official.
After Spain won the World Cup final against England on Sunday, Rubiales grabbed Spain’s midfielder Jenni Hermoso and planted a kiss on her lips during the medal ceremony and later joked that he would take the team to Ibiza and marry Hermoso there.
Hermoso said on an Instagram Live video after, “But what can I do? I didn’t like it, eh.”
Rubiales made a half-hearted attempt to apologize, saying his actions had no “ill intentions” and happened in a “moment of the highest exuberance.” But his apologies were not enough for Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, who slammed Rubiales and also called his actions “unacceptable.”
Rubiales also appeared to grab his crotch during the match in boisterous celebrations.
In the aftermath of the kiss, Spanish politicians widely criticized Rubiales. Equality Minister Irene Montero said the kiss was a display of “sexual violence.” Minister of Culture and Sport Miquel Iceta added it was “unacceptable.”
After the incident, Rubiales called an emergency meeting of the football federation’s general assembly on Friday, where he is now expected to resign, which was first reported Thursday by Spain’s Cadena Ser.
The Spanish football federation launched an internal investigation into whether Rubiales breached their protocol against sexism, while the global football association FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against him Thursday.
During the most-watched Women’s World Cup ever, Spain beat England 1-0 on Sunday in the final in Sydney thanks to a goal from Real Madrid’s Olga Carmona.
