Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales has issued a new apology for kissing Jennifer Hermoso on throughout the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup awards ceremony, nonetheless, he maintains that it was a “mutual and consented act.”
“At no time was there any aggression,” Rubiales said in a statement released Friday. “Indeed, there was not even the slightest discomfort, however an overflowing pleasure in each.
“I repeat: with the consent of each events, each within the affectionate hugs, and within the peak and subsequent farewell stuffed with affectionate mutual gestures, that occurred on the medals supply stage.”
The apology got here after a Spanish authorities legal panel opened a case towards the suspended Rubiales for kissing Hermoso on the lips with out consent after Spain received the Women’s World Cup.
Miquel Iceta, acting minister of culture and sport and the government’s sports council that is linked to the legal panel announced the move on Friday.
Rubiales has are available for a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation for his habits throughout and after the current World Cup remaining in Sydney.
FIFA has already suspended Rubiales for 90 days while it studies the case, so the Spanish decision will have little immediate effect. The FIFA suspension, which can be extended for 45 days more, bans Rubiales from his posts as president of the Spanish Football Federation and a vice president of UEFA.
Spain is hoping to remove him independently of the FIFA process
Iceta said that while the government cannot directly suspend Rubiales, as was its intention, it will ask the legal panel to consider suspending him provisionally.
“We nonetheless consider that his acts ought to be thought of very critical” faults, Iceta stated.
“When the eyes of the world had been performed on our gamers, his acts prompted injury to our sport and our nation that’s troublesome to restore.”
The legal panel said Rubiales’ behavior would be studied for two possible cases of serious misconduct.
The government hoped the panel would recommend very serious misconduct, a category that would allow the state’s sport body to ban him provisionally with a view to eventually declaring him unfit to hold the job.
Rubiales can be disqualified for up to two years if found guilty of serious misconduct.
The panel choice does put extra stress on Rubiales.
FIFA suspended Rubiales final Saturday, a day after he made a defiant speech claiming the kiss was consensual and he was a victim of a witch hunt. He refused to resign and was applauded by a majority of Spanish federation members present at the nationally televised meeting.
One of those who applauded, Spain men’s coach Luis de la Fuente, apologized on Friday for having clapped, saying, “I made a human error. It was inexcusable.”
The player involved, Jenni Hermoso, has denied Rubiales’ claim that she consented to what he called the “mutual” kiss during the Aug. 20 medal ceremony after the Spanish victory.
In a statement last Saturday, Hermoso said she considered herself the victim of abuse of power and accused the federation of trying to pressure her into supporting Rubiales.
The federation initially hit back by saying she was lying and it would take legal action against her. But following the FIFA suspension, the federation on Monday urged Rubiales to step down.
On Tuesday, the federation suspended Rubiales’ wages and ordered him to return the federation car, his laptop and mobile phone.
Rubiales has not been heard from since last Friday. He has been left with virtually no supporters. His mother staged a brief hunger strike in a church in southern Spain, demanding justice for her son and calling on Hermoso to rectify her stance.
Meanwhile, support for Hermoso from Spanish and international officials, athletes and celebrities was overwhelming.
On Friday, the president of the Spanish Olympic Committee, Alejandro Blanco, said he urged Rubiales “to make an apology, clarify what he did after which, no doubt, take into account resigning.”
On Thursday, Spain ladies’s star Aitana Bonmatí was voted best player of the year and used her acceptance speech on the UEFA awards ceremony to voice help for Hermoso.
“As a society, we can not permit the abuse of energy in a working atmosphere or disrespect,” Bonmatí said on stage in Monte Carlo. “To all ladies who’re struggling the identical factor as Jenni, we’re with you.”
Earlier within the week, the United Nations Human Rights workplace stated in a social media message, “We be part of Spain’s Jenni Hermoso and all these working to finish abuse and sexism in sport. Make this a turning level.”
There isn’t any time restrict for the legal panel to make a ruling within the case.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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