Spanish football kiss fallout: Luis Rubiales’ mother’s hunger strike enters second day

Protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football federation president to resign

Hundreds of people waving women’s rights placards gathered in the centre of Madrid on Monday 28 August to protest against the Spanish football federation’s president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales was provisionally suspended by Fifa on Saturday 26 August, pending an investigation into his conduct at the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on 20 August.

The 46-year-old grabbed his crotch in the VIP area of the stadium in celebration of Spain’s win over England, before kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy and medals presentation.

His mother is on hunger strike over the “inhuman” treatment of her son, according to reports in Spain.

Watch the video of the protest here:

The mother of suspended Spanish football president Luis Rubiales remains locked inside a church on hunger strike in protest against her son’s treatment after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup final.

“I will remain here for as long as my body can,” Angeles Bejar messaged a Spanish TV station from inside the church in Motril, southern Spain. “I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”

Bejar is holed up inside the parish church of Divina Pastora in the family’s home town, alongside her sister. Speaking outside the church on Monday, Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz described Bejar as a “woman of great faith who has sought refuge in God”, and said the family wanted Hermoso to “tell the truth” that the kiss was not forced.

Ella Toone has said that England’s Lionesses “all stand behind Jennifer Hermoso” with Luis Rubiales still yet to resign after kissing the Spain midfielder without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

The president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) has refused to step down from his role after the incident during the medal ceremony that followed Spain’s triumph ver England in Australia.

Rubiales, who was also criticised for grabbing his crotch during the final, had been expected to resign last week, but declined to do so at an extraordinary press conference.

The saga took another bizarre turn on Monday after the 46-year-old’s mother locked herself inside a church and went on hunger strike, describing the reaction to her son’s behaviour as “an inhuman, bloodthirsty witch hunt”.

Manchester United’s Toone, who was part of the Lionesses side beaten in Sydney, believes that Rubiales’s actions and the subsequent outcry have overshadowed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup win.

Luis Rubiales is facing renewed calls to resign as the fallout from his actions during and after the Women’s World Cup final continues.

In the moments after Spain secured their first Women’s World Cup crown, Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent.

Footage subsequently emerged showing the 46-year-old grabbing his crotch in celebration during the win over England while stood in close proximity to Queen Letizia of Spain.

The former defender had been widely expected to step down from his role after calling a press conference on Friday 25 August, but instead attempted to justify his behaviour, describing the outcry after the final as “a social assassination”.

Here is a timeline of the Spanish FA president’s fall from grace:

Right up until the moment that Luis Rubiales took the microphone at the Spanish federation on Friday afternoon, senior figures in Uefa were adamant he would resign. The expectation had even stopped some prominent football officials publicly speaking out.

What followed, even for a sport like this, left many involved “speechless”. It says more than any statement, mind, that Rubiales’s “jaw-dropping political speech” – to use the words of one shocked source – probably wasn’t the most consequential moment of the day. All of this will eventually lead to real action, way beyond words or Spanish football.

Four official complaints against Rubiales are now being investigated and they could ultimately see him banned from sport for anything between two to 15 years.

“This is the end,” Miquel Iceta, Spain’s minister for culture and sport, told El Pais. “This can’t continue like this.”

A Spanish striker is boycotting the national team in protest against FA president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales has faced growing calls from across sport and politics to resign from his post running Spanish football after his behaviour at the Women’s World Cup final, where he grabbed his crotch in an aggressive celebration and forcefully kissed one of the players, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips.

Borja Iglesias, 30, who plays for Real Betis and has made two appearances for the Spanish national team, declared on social media that he would no longer put himself forwards for selection until “this type of act does not go unpunished”.

Fifa has suspended Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales over his conduct and the women’s national team’s coaching staff have walked out as he still refused to resign over the deepening World Cup kiss row.

Rubiales has been banned from all football-related activity for 90 days and is not allowed to contact Spanish midfielder Jenni Hermoso or those close to her.

He is currently the subject of a Fifa investigation into his behaviour after the match, when he kissed forward Hermoso on the lips and was also filmed grabbing his crotch in an aggressive celebration at the full-time whistle. He has come under increasing pressure from across sport and politics but on Friday refused to resign in a chaotic press conference.

While Rubiales held his ground, federation vice president Rafael del Amo, who had been in charge of women’s football, resigned.

Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation asked suspended president Luis Rubiales to resign on Monday for kissing a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final.

The heads of the regional bodies that make up the federation (RFEF) made the request in a collective statement.

“After the latest developments and the unacceptable behavior that has caused great damage to the image of Spanish soccer, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the statement said.

That move was widely seen as an attempt to silence some of Rubiales’ critics, including government ministers who have asked for his removal, as such a suspension would ban Spanish teams from competitions like the Champions League and could sway public opinion in favor of letting him keep his job.

Regional representatives of the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) have demanded the immediate resignation of the body’s chief Luis Rubiales – but stopped short of calling for a motion of no confidence – for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup.

The Federation’s move came as the situation has spiralled into a national row over women’s rights, macho behaviour and sexual abuse with many acting ministers asking for Rubiales to leave. Many of the federation representatives had applauded Rubiales when he announced on Friday he would not quit, but late on Monday asked him to step down and called for a restructuring of key positions in the federation “to allow for a new phase of management in Spanish football” with more gender equality.

“Following recent events and the unacceptable behaviour that has seriously damaged Spanish football’s image, the (regional) presidents demand that Luis Rubiales immediately resign,” the representatives said in a statement. The about-turn at the federation followed the opening of a preliminary probe by the High Court prosecutor on whether Rubiales might have committed an act of sexual aggression and piled pressure on Rubiales. He was suspended by FIFA from all soccer-related activities for three months on Saturday amid a furore over the incident at the presentation ceremony following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win in Sydney on Aug. 20.

Gender issues are a prominent topic in Spain.

The outgoing Socialist-led government has presided over a raft of legal reforms around gender change, abortion and sex work. A loophole in its law around sexual consent, however, let rapists out of jail, resulting in a significant electoral loss by the far-left Podemos party, in the government coalition, in July’s election.

Rubiales, 46, has refused to step down, saying the kiss – which took place in a live broadcast – was consensual.

His mother is holed up in a church in the family’s hometown of Motril and has started a hunger strike in support of her son.

A few dozen residents of Motril on Monday gathered outside the church, shouting, clapping and holding up signs in support of Rubiales and his mother. “Stop hunt against Rubiales, enough!”, read one of the signs.

Some residents said calls for Rubiales to step down were an “excessive” punishment.

“We are talking about a little kiss, he didn’t kill anyone,” Amparo Macias said.

Hermoso, her team mates and the Spanish government say the kiss was unwanted and demeaning.

Acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz demanded the dismissal of the head coaches of both the men’s and women’s national teams.

Ella Toone has said that England’s Lionesses “all stand behind Jennifer Hermoso” with Luis Rubiales still yet to resign after kissing the Spain midfielder without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

The president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) has refused to step down from his role after the incident during the medal ceremony that followed Spain’s triumph ver England in Australia.

Manchester United’s Toone, who was part of the Lionesses side beaten in Sydney, believes that Rubiales’s actions and the subsequent outcry have overshadowed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup win.