Luis Rubiales kissed: Spanish FA president faces FIFA investigation

Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales (right) was widely criticized for his behavior after Spain won the Women's World Cup. Credit: Getty Images/Frank Fife

Luis Rubiales faces a FIFA investigation after he kissed Spanish striker Jenny Hermoso on the lips after the national team won the Women's World Cup last week.

Rubiales , president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), kissed Hermoso during the trophy ceremony and was also filmed grabbing his crotch during celebrations of Spain's first Women's World Cup at England's expense. Hermoso and her union said in a statement on Wednesday that she hoped he would face «exemplary measures.»

Rubiales' behavior has been widely condemned around the world, with Spanish government politicians among those who called for his resignation. .

To add to his condemnation, Real Madrid men's team manager Carlo Ancelotti said: “I didn't like it. This is not the behavior of a federation president.»

A FIFA statement released on Thursday said: “The FIFA Disciplinary Committee informed Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that took place during the final of the Women's World Cup on 20 February. August 2023

“These events may constitute a violation of paragraphs 1 and 2 of Article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.

“The FIFA Disciplinary Committee will only provide additional information about these disciplinary proceedings. as soon as he makes a final decision on the matter.

«FIFA reaffirms its unwavering commitment to respect for the integrity of all human beings and strongly condemns any action contrary to this.»

Article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code covers «offensive behavior and violations of the principles of fair play». Its first paragraph talks about the need for people to «observe the principles of fair play, loyalty and honesty», and the second paragraph includes possible offenses such as «violating the basic rules of decent behavior» and «harmful behavior». the sport of football and/or FIFA has been given a bad name,” although the FIFA statement did not specify what exactly Rubiales is accused of.

His behavior has been criticized for detracting from the former’s historic achievement in the history of Spain's major tournament. international women's trophy. Liga F, Spain's top women's league, publicly called for a «disqualification» of Rubiales and stated: «One of the greatest feats in the history of Spanish sports has been tarnished by the embarrassing behavior of the highest representative of Spanish football.» /p>

“It's not just about the kiss. This is a position that is far from the values ​​of our society. This behavior has caused historic social alarm around the world, and has drawn rejection and contempt from the political class, the media, and prominent representatives of culture, the arts, and sports. This is an unprecedented international embarrassment for the Spanish brand. We cannot let this episode go without consequences.”