Luis Rubiales, the suspended head of the Spanish football federation, finally folded under immense pressure Sunday and resigned three weeks after his kiss of a player on the lips overshadowed Spain바카라s first-ever Women바카라s World Cup title.
Rubiales had been at the center of a controversy that had gone far beyond Spain바카라s borders and the world of sport after he kissed Jenni Hermoso during the globally televised awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on Aug. 20 in Sydney, Australia. The player said the kiss was without her consent.
바카라After my swift suspension by FIFA, and the rest of the cases building against me, it is clear that I cannot return to the post,바카라 Rubiales said on Sunday in a message posted on X, formerly known as Twitter.
He had already been temporarily suspended from his job by FIFA for his conduct at the final and, after football's world body opened a disciplinary case, remained defiant and hostile toward those who criticized him.
Then came the most serious threat yet to Rubiales, when Spanish state prosecutors accused him on Friday of sexual assault and coercion after the kiss, two days after Hermoso formally accused him of sexual assault.
Once the most powerful man in Spanish football, Rubiales insisted the kiss was consensual and done in a 바카라moment of jubilation.바카라 He said it was like one 바카라I could give one of my daughters.바카라
Hermoso denied that claim in statements issued by her and her players바카라 union. The player also said she and her family were pressured by the federation to show her support for Rubiales. Fans, players and politicians publicly disagreed with Rubiales and saw it as a sexist act and the abuse of authority.
바카라The former president of the Spanish football federation has done what he had to do,바카라 Spain바카라s Secretary of State for Sport Víctor Francos told Spain바카라s Cadena SER radio. 바카라I think it is what practically the entirety of Spanish society had asked him to do.바카라
Rubiales said he had also resigned as UEFA vice president due to the reputational danger the scandal could inflict on Spain바카라s joint bid to host the 2030 men바카라s World Cup along with Portugal, Morocco and possibly Ukraine.
Rubiales said that he had told interim Spanish federation president Pedro Rocha 바카라 who replaced him when Rubiales was suspended on Aug. 26 바카라 of his resignation late Sunday night. The Spanish federation confirmed Rubiales바카라 resignation in a statement, adding that it would follow its statutes and call an election for a new president.
Also Sunday, Rubiales said 바카라I am going to (resign), I cannot continue my work,바카라 in reply to a question from TV host Piers Morgan on Britain바카라s TalkTV. Clips from the show were released Sunday at a similar time to Rubiales바카라 social media post appearing.
바카라My father, my daughters, I spoke with them ... and some friends very close to me, and they say to me 바카라Luis, now you have to focus on your dignity and to continue your life, because if not, probably you are going to damage people you love, and the sport you love,바카라바카라 Rubiales told Morgan.
바카라In this situation now, (it is) the thing I have to do.바카라
Two weeks ago, Rubiales had been expected to step down amid the immediate wave of criticism for his conduct at the final, which included a lewd gesture of grabbing his crotch, with Spain바카라s Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter, Princess Sofía, nearby. Instead, in a defiant Aug. 25 speech before his federation바카라s general assembly, he refused to go quietly and claimed he was victim of a 바카라witch hunt바카라 by 바카라false feminists.바카라
That led FIFA to provisionally suspend him just one day later; the Spanish government starting a motion to have him ruled unfit to hold his office; and Hermoso바카라s accusation of sexual assault.
Rubiales바카라 behavior at one of football's premier global events had drawn scorn from Spain바카라s politicians, its football leagues, clubs, players and fans, amid talk of a 바카라Me Too바카라 movement in Spanish football. The uproar against Rubiales coincides with a strike by Spain바카라s women바카라s league as its players call for higher wages.
Rubiales바카라 public supporters 바카라 other than his mother, who held a short-lived hunger strike in a church in southern Spain 바카라 soon abandoned him. Those included the coaches of Spain바카라s women바카라s and men바카라s teams. His own federation also publicly asked him to step down.
After Spain바카라s state prosecutors opened the door to him facing criminal charges 바카라 and even possible prison time if convicted 바카라 Rubiales finally agreed to resign.
바카라Insisting in waiting and hanging on would not contribute anything positive (for) either the federation or Spanish football, among other reasons, because the powers that be would stop me from returning (to my job),바카라 Rubiales said in his statement.
After Rubiales accused Hermoso of lying about what he said was a kiss she had consented to, Spain바카라s women world champions, along with dozens of players, refused to play again for their country until there were changes in the federation바카라s leadership. The firing of the unpopular women바카라s team coach was not enough by itself for them to come back.
No. 2-ranked Spain is scheduled to start the Women바카라s Nations League on Sept. 22 in a visit to top-ranked Sweden. Spain beat Sweden in the World Cup semifinals.
Hermoso, 33, now plays for Mexican club Pachuca after a long career in Europe. She helped Barcelona win the 2021 Women바카라s Champions League, and came second in Ballon d바카라Or voting to teammate Alexia Putellas that same year.
Rubiales will also resign as a vice president at UEFA, the European football body which pays him 250,000 euros ($268,000) annually in a job he was appointed to in 2019. He first had to be elected onto UEFA바카라s executive committee by European football federations. UEFA has taken no action against Rubiales, even after FIFA opened a disciplinary case 18 days ago.
MEN바카라S WORLD CUP
Spain바카라s government had expressed its concerns that Rubiales would end up hurting Spain바카라s joint bid to host the 2030 edition of the men바카라s World Cup. Rubiales, who had led the bid, appears to have finally agreed, according to his statement, while still maintaining his belief that he was being too harshly judged.
바카라I don바카라t want Spanish football to be hurt by this exaggerated campaign against me, and above all, I take this decision after being assured that my exit would help contribute to the stability that will allow both Europe and Africa to stay united for their dream of 2030, which will permit the greatest sporting event in the world to go to our country,바카라 he said.
The bid has been strongly favored to win the hosting rights in a campaign that FIFA wants decided by late 2024.
An election to replace Rubiales on the UEFA ruling committee can be held in Madrid next February when the Spanish federation hosts the next annual meeting of UEFA member federations.
SAUDI DEAL
Rubiales, 46, is a former player and head of Spain바카라s main players union. He had run the federation since 2018.
He has not shied away from controversy since but, proving to be a shrewd deal maker, he shored up internal support by boosting revenues for the federation and spreading them around.
In part, Rubiales was tolerated because he was considered better than his predecessor, Ángel Maria Villar, who was in power for nearly three decades before he was arrested on suspicion of corruption.
Rubiales made 339,000 euros ($365,000) in 2021 after taxes for presiding over the federation with a budget of 382 million euros ($412 million). The federation runs Spain바카라s men바카라s and women바카라s national football teams and its semi-professional and amateur football leagues. It also organizes the referees. The government maintains some oversight of the entity but it cannot name or remove its executives.
Rubiales바카라 biggest decision was to take the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia 바카라 now the big draw for top European talent like Cristiano Ronaldo 바카라 in exchange for $40 million a year. The clubs and federation loved the cash, but the move was criticized by women바카라s and human rights groups for the regime바카라s treatment of women and minorities. Spanish authorities also scrutinized the deal, and an investigative judge is probing the legality of the Super Cup contract s.
The controversy not only drew attention away from the greatest victory for women바카라s football in Spain. It also tarnished Spain바카라s greatest achievement in football overall 바카라 in both men바카라s and women바카라s teams 바카라 since Rubiales took charge before eventually leading to his own downfall.
