Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation have called on suspended President Luis Rubiales to resign because of his behavior at the Women\u2019s World Cup, including forcibly kissing Spain\u2019s Women\u2019s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, sparking worldwide outrage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The heads of the regional bodies that make up the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) made the request in a collective statement on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cAfter recent events and the unacceptable behaviour that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,\u201d said the federation\u2019s regional presidents in a statement following a meeting on Monday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The regional leaders said they backed interim RFEF chief Pedro Rocha, who called the meeting, to lead the organisation into \u201cdialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions.\u201d They also called for an overhaul in the federation\u2019s management.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cWe will urge the relevant authorities to carry out a profound and imminent organisational restructuring in strategic positions of the federation in order to make way for a new stage in the management of Spanish football,\u201d the regional presidents said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Prosecutors at Spain\u2019s top criminal court also said in a statement on Monday that they had opened a preliminary investigation into Rubiales\u2019s kiss on the grounds it could constitute a crime of \u201csexual assault.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Hermoso said last week that she felt like the \u201cvictim of assault\u201d and that the kiss, during the medal ceremony after Spain won the Women\u2019s World Cup in Sydney on August 20, was not consensual. Prosecutors said in the statement they would contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a lawsuit within 15 days.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Rubiales, 46, has been defiant regarding the kiss. At a meeting of the federation on Friday where he had been widely expected to resign, Rubiales instead refused to step down, calling the kiss \u201cspontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n
RFEF issued a statement saying the embattled president would \u201cdefend himself legally in the competent bodies\u201d to prove \u201chis complete innocence.\u201c<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Also on Monday, the Associated Press news agency reported that the Spanish federation had called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference related to the Rubiales controversy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
A suspension would ban Spanish teams from competitions \u2013 such as the Champions League \u2013 and the unprecedented request seemed to some to be aimed at provoking Spain\u2019s football fans and powerful clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid, plus the men\u2019s national team, into backing efforts to save Rubiales\u2019s job.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Governing bodies of international football have longstanding rules barring national governments from interfering with the running of domestic football federations. In their statement on Monday, the regional RFEF presidents, however, called on the football federation\u2019s interim president Rocha to withdraw that request to UEFA immediately.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Spain\u2019s top clubs are due to take part in Thursday\u2019s Champions League group-stage draw being made by UEFA, and the men\u2019s national team has games on September 8 and 12, in qualifying for the 2024 European Championship.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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