The "unacceptable attitude" of Luis Rubiales, who swore to prove his innocence after his provisional suspension as president of the Spanish FA, has led to the resignation of nearly the entire coaching staff for Spain's women's squad.
Six days after the kissing incident with Jenni Hermoso at the end of the Women's World Cup final, 11 coaches and technical staff issued a unified statement on Saturday denouncing Rubiales' treatment of the forward.
11:53 - 26.08.2023
FOOTBALL Under fire Spanish football federation president refuses to resign for kissing star World Cup winner amidst FIFA and public backlash
Rubiales has faced calls to quit after kissing striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips in celebration shortly after the final whistle as Spain beat England on Sunday.
Recent reports also suggest that FIFA have taken further action on the incident and has suspended the Spanish president for 90 days.
Despite the recent decision of eleven members of the Spain coaching team resigning, Rubiales has insisted that he will not quit.
Spanish FA statement
The Spanish FA have released a statement regarding the incident that happened during the Women's World Cup.
According to the statement as reported by The Guardian, “The undersigned, in light of the unacceptable attitude and statements made by the head of the federation, have taken the decision to resign from their positions.
“This was particularly hurtful. As many of the female members of the coaching staff were obliged to sit in the front row, so as to suggest that they agreed with the remarks made by Rubiales, the statement claimed.”
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Spain national team suffers a casualty over the Luis Rubiales Jennifer Hermoso kiss scandal.
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Spain Women’s World Cup heroes celebrate their win on a yacht in Ibiza
The Women's World Cup champions, Spain, were seen celebrating their triumph against England in the World Cup final.
After Fifa announced Rubiales would be immediately barred from all football-related activities at the national and international levels for an initial period of 90 days, pending the disciplinary proceedings, the joint resignation statement was released a few hours later.
The crew, which also includes assistant managers Montse Tomé, Javier Lerga, and Eugenio Gonzalo Martin, as well as physio Blanca Romero Moraleda and goalie coach Carlos Sanchez, asserted that they were required to attend Rubiales' speech on Friday.
Soon after, the federation announced that Pedro Rocha Junco, its vice president, would take over as interim president.
Luis Rubiales has also responded to the suspension issued by FIFA saying he is ready to defend himself.
In a statement, it added, “Luis Rubiales has stated that he will defend himself legally in the competent bodies, he has full confidence in the Fifa bodies and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defence so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven.”