Disgraced Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales BANNED by Fifa after kissgate row with Jenni Hermoso
SHAMED football chief Luis Rubiales has been BANNED by Fifa over his kissgate scandal.
The Spanish FA president kissed Spain World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips immediately after their final win over England.
On Thursday, FIFA announced that they had opened disciplinary proceedings against the Rubiales in the wake of the incident.
And they have since suspended him from all football-related activities for the next 90 days.
The controversial Rubiales has received widespread criticism this week – both for the kiss and his leadership of the Spanish FA – including from players, LaLiga clubs, the Lionesses and even politicians.
A number of stars, including men’s striker Borja Iglesias, have quit the national team in protest against the chief, who performed a dramatic U-turn and refused to quit in a press conference on Friday.
Rubiales was criticised for his behaviour during Sunday’s Women’s World Cup final.
He was filmed grabbing his crotch to celebrate the winning goal and then kissed Hermoso on the lips as she came up to receive her winner’s medal.
The controversial chief also went into the team dressing room after full-time, where he vowed to take the women on holiday to Ibiza and even marry Hermoso.
But the midfielder said on the day that she “did not enjoy” the unsolicited kiss.
The Spanish FA put out a statement on Sunday night claiming to be from Hermoso, but she gave her own version of events to confirm that the act from Rubiales was NOT consensual.
Rubiales initially hit out at the “idiots” criticising his behaviour before a weak apology on Monday.
And as the backlash continued against his actions in Sydney and also his ongoing leadership of the RFEF, he was expected to quit on Friday.
However, in the press conference, he defiantly said: “I am not resigning.”
Rubiales also slammed “false feminism” for his “social assassination” and described the kiss as a “consensual, spontaneous peck”.
The decision not to leave his post was widely condemned by players, clubs and even Spanish politicians.
And that prompted Spain’s men’s team striker Borja Iglesias to go on strike from international football until Rubiales resigns in solidarity with his female counterparts.
A staggering 81 Spanish women players have also said they will refuse to play while England’s Lionesses released a statement labelling the Spanish FA as “sexist and patriarchal”.
David De Gea, Hector Bellerin and Alex Morgan were among the high-profile footballers who also used social media to voice their anger – as did TNT presenter Laura Woods.
Hermoso revealed she was being put under “continuous pressure” by the Spanish FA to publicly support Rubiales.
But the Spanish FA have since threatened her with legal action and posted photos of their star player allegedly lifting him up, which she denies.
Now an official statement from Fifa says: “The president of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee , Jorge Ivan Palacio (Colombia), using the powers granted by article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (CDF), has agreed today to provisionally suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales of all soccer-related activities at a national and international level.
“This suspension, which will be effective as of today, extends for an initial period of ninety days, and as long as the disciplinary procedure opened by this Disciplinary Commission against Mr. Luis Rubiales on Thursday, August 24, is processed.
“Likewise, the president of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee in order to preserve, among other factors, the fundamental rights of the player of the national soccer team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso and the good order of the disciplinary procedure that is in process before this disciplinary body, has issued two additional directives (article 7 CDF) by which it orders Mr. Luis Rubiales to refrain, through himself or third parties, from contacting or attempting to contact the professional player of the Spanish national team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso or to your immediate surroundings.
“Likewise, the RFEF and its officers or employees, directly or through third parties, are ordered to refrain from contacting the professional player of the Spanish national team Ms. Jennifer Hermoso or her close environment.
“The decision adopted by the president of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee has been communicated today to Mr. Luis Rubiales, the RFEF and UEFA, for due compliance.
“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will not offer any further information on this disciplinary procedure until a final decision has been taken on it.
“FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting the integrity of all people and therefore condemns it with the greatest vigour any behaviour to the contrary.”
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