The RFEF president says fake feminists are trying to "kill" him, but there is only one victim in this sorry affair: Jenni Hermoso
Right up until the moment Luis Rubiales took to the stage at the Spanish Football Federation's (truly) Extraordinary Assembly last Friday afternoon, the whole football world expected him to resign as president. His behaviour during and after the Women's World Cup final just five days previously had been a disgrace, a total embarrassment, with Rubiales first grabbing his crotch in the ultimate show of toxic masculinity after Spain had opened the scoring.
It would have been a wholly undignified gesture no matter where he was in the stadium – but the fact that he was sitting in the directors' box alongside the Queen of Spain only made it even more disrespectful. Far worse was to come, though, with Rubiales planting a kiss on national team captain Jenni Hermoso while she and her team-mates were receiving their winners' medals.
In the space of half an hour, Rubiales had managed to make the greatest triumph in the history of Spanish women's football all about him. He had effectively robbed them of the finest moment of their careers, because the news cycle quickly, inevitably and rightly became dominated by Rubiales' gross conduct.
For Spain, the build-up to the tournament had been dominated by the mutiny staged in response to the draconian measures imposed upon the players by coach Jorge Vilda – the after-party overshadowed by the lewd behaviour of the head of the RFEF. It was a sporting tragedy.
GettyRubiales doubles down
On Friday, Rubiales had the chance to do the right thing, to bring an end to the media circus and allow the nation to get back to celebrating their new sporting heroes. He didn't stand down, though. Or even back down. He doubled down.
Rubiales effectively went full 'Wolf of Wall Street' (and one should never go full 'Wolf of Wall Street'!). Indeed, as he leaned heavily on Jordan Belfort's famous "I'm not leaving" speech by repeating the words "I will not resign" over and over again, Rubiales sounded just as stubborn, short-sighted and entitled as one of the most notorious swindlers in history.
He described the kiss as "a peck", claimed it was "consensual" and dismissed those criticising his actions as exponents of "fake feminism" – which he labelled "a scourge" of modern society.
AdvertisementGoal / Getty / The Sun'Simply put, I was not respected'
Both his words and demeanour were shocking – and yet they felt strangely and entirely appropriate from the new posterboy of the inappropriate.
As Hermoso said in her own statement on Friday, "I feel obliged to report that Mr Rubiales’ words explaining the unfortunate incident are categorically false and part of the manipulative culture that he himself has generated. The kiss was never consensual. I was asked to make a joint-statement to alleviate the pressure but all that was in my mind was to enjoy a historic milestone. Despite my decision, I have been under constant pressure to make a statement to justify Mr Rubiales’ actions.
"No person, in any work, sports, or social setting should be a victim of these types of non-consensual behaviours. I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part. Simply put, I was not respected."
Getty ImagesDead man walking
Rubiales says he is willing to go to court to clear his name and is now a dead man walking. FIFA has already got involved, suspending him for 60 days, while several senior figures in the Spanish government have made it clear that he simply has to go, meaning his enforced exit is now inevitable.
For starters, Spain no longer has a women's team – the entire World Cup-winning squad and 58 other players have already announced that they will not play for the national side again while Rubiales remains at the helm of the federation. Every single member of the coaching staff has resigned – bar Vilda, and even he issued a statement criticising his boss, which perfectly underlines just how untenable Rubiales' position has become.
There's also the fact that Spain is hoping to co-host the 2030 Men's World Cup – but the politicians are acutely aware that their bid has no chance of success with Rubiales still in charge of the RFEF. Not even own-goal king Gianni Infantino would want anything to do with a man that has come to symbolise everything that is unjust about the management of the women's game.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
Getty ImagesChance to overhaul the system
In truth, though, Rubiales shouldn't be the only figure removed from the federation. Every single one of his supporters needs to be shown the door too, Vilda included, because the RFEF has threatened legal action against FUTPRO (the players' union which issued a statement in support of Hermoso) and also asked UEFA to ban its clubs from European competition because of alleged government interference – a move that so absurd that it hammers home the staggeringly deep-rooted nature of its horribly misguided loyalty to Rubiales.
But that is the one positive side to this sorry affair: nearly the entire football world has united against Rubiales and the RFEF. Borja Iglesias has also quit the Spain set-up in disgust, while both Cadiz and Sevilla issued shows of support for the women's team over the weekend, with the former holding up a banner which read 'We are all with Jenni', and the latter sporting tee-shirts referencing the 'It's over' hashtag started by Hermoso's team-mate, Alexia Putellas.
In addition, Barcelona boss Xavi labelled Rubiales' behaviour "totally unacceptable" and lamented the terrible consequence that we are no longer talking about the "historic achievement of winning the World Cup" – a sentiment shared by former Real Madrid and Spain captain Iker Casillas.
"I'm ashamed for you,” the goalkeeping icon tweeted at Rubiales. "We should have spent these five days talking about our girls! Of the joy they gave us all! To boast of a title that we did not have in women’s football."