Rubiales stands alone: regional federation presidents call for immediate resignation

Presidents of the regional football administrations in Spain have called unanimously for Luis Rubiales to resign after "unacceptable behavior that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football."

The committee of regional president met on Monday and published a statement in the evening calling for the immediate resignation of Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales after he forcibly kissed Spain's women's team player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup Final medal ceremony. 

The group also took the decision after it was revealed that RFEF general secretary, Andreu Camps, denounced the Spanish government to UEFA for interventionism. Essentially, he called on Europe's football governing body to suspend Spanish teams from international competition, alleging that the Spanish government was interfering improperly in the internal affairs of the football federation.  

UEFA denied this request. The regional presidents' committee also requested RFEF acting-president Pedro Rocha to take back the complaint. 

"We urge the corresponding bodies to carry out a deep and imminent organic restructuring in strategic positions of the Federation to give way to a new stage of management in Spanish football," the statement also reads. 

CSD meeting

Spain's Superior Sports Board (CSD), the governmental body in charge of sports in the country, gave a press conference today to give an update on the situation regarding Luis Rubiales' position. 

In it, CSD head Víctor Francos was not in the position to give significant updates because the Court of Arbitration for Sport were still convening on the matter. 

The CSD brought the Rubiales issue to the tribunal as the CSD alone were unable to act. The CSD put forward that in their view, Rubiales had committed serious breaches of conduct, and if CAS are in agreement, they will be able to move forward with the process of suspending Rubiales. 

Madrid protest

Elsewhere, 800 people gathered on Monday evening in Plaza Callao in Madrid in support of Jenni Hermoso.

The protest was attended by some members of the Spanish government such as the minister of education, Pilar Alegría.

The minister gave her support to the national team players, and by extension all female athletes, highlighting "the example of dignity, equality and sisterhood" shown by Hermoso's teammates.

Last Friday, 81 Spanish football players, including the entire World Cup-winning squad, announced in a joint statement that they will not return to the international team until Rubiales is no longer in his post.

Refusal to resign

After Rubiales refused to resign at an RFEF EGM last Friday, instead blaming "false feminism" for trying to "assassinate" him, Jenni Hermoso released a statement last Friday explaining that the kiss was not consensual, that she felt disrespected and the victim of an assault.

Hermoso underlined that Rubiales' version of events is "completely false" and described the forced kiss as "machista."

As well as kissing Hermoso, Rubiales was also filmed grabbing his crotch during the final celebrations, and has also been criticized for his apology in the aftermath. 

FIFA moved to provisionally suspend the federation head from all football-related activity for 90 days and prohibited Rubiales and other RFEF staff from making contact with Hermoso. 

Earlier on Monday, prosecutors opened legal proceedings against Rubiales for alleged sexual assault, while the federation chief's mother locked herself in a church and began an "indefinite" hunger strike to denounce the "inhumane" treatment of her son.