LAST UPDATE | 25 Aug 2023

SPANISH FOOTBALL CHIEF Luis Rubiales refused to resign today after a week of heavy criticism for his unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s Women’s World Cup triumph.

“I will not resign, I will not resign, I will not resign,” shouted Rubiales at an emergency meeting of the football federation.

“A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end,” he added.

Rubiales, 46, was expected to step down as president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF) after government ministers and figures within sport demanded his resignation and world football’s governing body FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against him.

He said the pressure he has received this week from politicians and clubs was an attempt “to publicly assassinate me” and said he would defend himself by “taking action” against those people.

The RFEF chief claimed his kiss on Hermoso’s lips was consensual and done in the same spirit as kissing his child.

“It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual, euphoric, and consensual,” said Rubiales.

The president did apologise for grabbing his crotch during the celebrations of the 1-0 win against England in the final while standing next to Spanish Queen Letizia.

“I want to say sorry for the deeds that happened in a moment of euphoria, I grabbed that part of my body and did so looking at Jorge Vilda (the coach),” Rubiales said.

“I was so emotional, I lost control and I took my hands there.”

Rubiales’ speech and refusal to resign was “unacceptable,” said Spain’s second deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz.

“The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office,” said Diaz on Twitter.

– © AFP 2023

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