Earlier today, Spanish soccer president Luis Rubiales refused to resign, despite reports to the contrary. Instead, he used his speech at the extraordinary meeting of RFEF to double down on his defence of his behavior at the women's World Cup and attack his critics. "Do you think this [incident] is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football? Let me tell you: I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign. I've come under a lot of pressure. Perhaps somebody will look to remove me on Monday. But we live in a country of laws. Is a consensual kiss enough to remove me? I'm going to fight until the end. I hope the law is followed, and that as there's no reason to [remove me], it won't happen."
Rubiales continued. "My desire in that moment was exactly the same as if I'd have been kissing one of my daughters," he said. "No more or less. Everybody understands that. It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual, euphoric and consensual. That's the key. [Hermoso] had missed a penalty. I have a great relationship with all the players. ... In the moment that Jenni arrived, she lifted me up off the ground. We almost fell over. We hugged. I said, 'Forget about the penalty, you've been fantastic, we wouldn't have won the World Cup without you.' She said: 'You're great.' I said, 'A kiss?' and she said: 'Yes.' From 'no big deal' then the pressure starts, the silence of the player and a statement that I don't understand. Justice isn't being done here. This is a social assassination of me, they're trying to kill me." Now the players have begun to respond.
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Spanish Players Announce Boycott
All members of the Spanish Women's National Team, along with 53 former players, have announced that they will boycott the team until Rubiales is removed as president. Hermoso also specifically responded to Rubiales' claims that his kiss was consensual. "I want to clarify, as you can see in the images, that at no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me," Hermoso said. "I won't tolerate that my word is called into question, and even less so that words are invented which I didn't say." Additionally, men's striker Borja Iglesias announced he would also be refusing call-ups until Rubiales was removed from his position.
Furthermore, Secretary of State for Sport Victor Francos has confirmed that Spain's Sports Council (CSD) are working to remove Rubiales. "The CSD today begins the procedure to suspend Luis Rubiales immediately from the RFEF presidency. ... As the person responsible for Spanish sport I have to apologise to the players. They didn't deserve this this week. Neither the CSD nor its president can remove [Rubiales]. I can't sack anybody. But we can take the case to TAD if we believe a serious offence has been committed, and TAD can approve it or not." TAD is Spain's sport arbitration court.
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