Luis Rubiales has resigned as president of the Spanish FA after kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final.
Rubiales was asked by the Spanish football federation to step down and Hermoso, who insisted the kiss was not consensual, filed a complaint to the national prosecutor’s office last Tuesday.
The prosecutor’s office said that under a recently passed sexual consent law, Rubiales could face a fine or even imprisonment if found guilty of sexual assault.
Rubiales, a former player, had initially played down the significance of the unsolicited kiss after the team’s 1-0 victory over England in Sydney almost a month ago. He called some of his critics “idiots”.
Fifa provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days and opened up disciplinary proceedings against him, but he has now released a statement with his resignation to the federation’s acting president Pedro Rocha.
“My resignation? Yes, I’m going to, I cannot continue my work,” Rubiales told Piers Morgan Uncensored for TalkTV.
Luis Rubiales kisses Jenni Hermoso— (BBC)
“I love so much my daughters, and they love me so much, I’m very happy and proud of them. My father, my daughters, I spoke with them, they know it’s not a question about me. They say to me, ‘Luis, now you have to focus on your dignity and continue your life, because you will do damage to people you love.’
“When somebody is not thinking only about themself, because I had to in these few weeks, it’s not only a question of me. It can affect third parties, it’s very important, this situation now, it’s the thing I have to do.”
Rubiales’s statement read: “After the quick suspension carried out by Fifa, plus the rest of open proceedings against me, it is evident that I will not be able to return to my position.
“Insisting on waiting and holding on is not going to contribute to anything positive, neither to the federation nor to Spanish football.”
He confirmed that he has also resigned as one of Uefa’s vice presidents.
Spain’s women’s team claimed they would not play again for their country until Rubiales was removed from his post.
Rubiales maintained throughout that the kiss was “mutual” and “consensual”, but did add that he had made “some obvious mistakes” in recent weeks.
