Luis Rubiales news LIVE: Spanish FA president’s mother’s hunger strike enters second day

Luis Rubiales’ mother has locked herself in a church and is going on a hunger strike in order to end the “inhumane witch-hunt” on her son as the Spanish Football Federation (Rfef) held an emergency meeting on Monday.

Rubiales was suspended by Fifa for kissing Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips in an act the footballer says she did not consent to. Fifa banned Rubiales from all football-related activity for 90 days over his conduct and have launched an investigation into his behaviour, while Spanish police are now investigating the federation president for alleged sexual assault.

Following his refusal to resign, the Spanish women’s national team signed a letter stating their intent not to play for the country until Rubiales is removed from his role and the coaching staff – excepting manager Jorge Vilda – have all walked out. And in bizarre new developments, the Spanish FA requested that Uefa excludes their national and club teams from all European competitions because of Spanish government intervention in the crisis - a request which Uefa has denied. Now the Rfef have finally asked Rubiales to resign, with the matter seemingly coming to a head on Tuesday.

Follow all the latest updates from the Luis Rubiales crisis:

Luis Rubiales: Latest as Rfef president asked to resign

• Luis Rubiales asked to resign by Spanish FA (Rfef)

• Spanish FA ask Uefa to expel teams from competition - request is denied

• Rfef president’s mother continues hunger strike inside church

• Luis Rubiales timeline: From election to kiss and Fifa suspension

• Ella Toone says Lionesses are fully behind Spain’s Jenni Hermoso

‘I am willing to die:’ Luis Rubiales’ mother continues hunger strike locked inside church

08:08 , Jack Rathborn

The mother of suspended Spanish football president Luis Rubiales remains locked inside a church on hunger strike in protest against her son’s treatment after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup final.

“I will remain here for as long as my body can,” Angeles Bejar messaged a Spanish TV station from inside the church in Motril, southern Spain. “I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”

Bejar is holed up inside the parish church of Divina Pastora in the family’s home town, alongside her sister. Speaking outside the church on Monday, Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz described Bejar as a “woman of great faith who has sought refuge in God”, and said the family wanted Hermoso to “tell the truth” that the kiss was not forced.

‘I am willing to die:’ Luis Rubiales’ mother continues hunger strike inside church

Spanish federation exploring grounds to sack coach Jorge Vilda – reports

Tuesday 29 August 2023 21:31 , Karl Matchett

The Spanish Football Federation is considering whether it has grounds to sack Spain Women’s World Cup-winning head coach Jorge Vilda, according to reports.

Vilda is still in the post after most of his coaching staff resigned in protest against federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, who has refused to quit for kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso after their World Cup final win.

All of Spain’s 23 World Cup winners, plus another 58 players, have said they will not represent their country until Rubiales has left his post.

Rubiales, 46, was provisionally suspended by FIFA on Saturday pending an investigation into his conduct in Sydney after Spain’s win against England on August 20.

He was applauded by Vilda after repeatedly insisting that he would not quit at the RFEF’s extraordinary general meeting last Friday and the federation is exploring its options over whether they can sack the head coach.

Spanish federation exploring grounds to sack coach Jorge Vilda – reports

Is the World Cup kiss Spain’s Me Too moment?

Tuesday 29 August 2023 20:00 , Karl Matchett

Imagine, for a moment, the world’s worst fantasy dinner party. Donald Trump is there with his mate Vladimir Putin. Dan Wootton of GB News is in full anti-woke flow. Nadine Dorries is loudly guffawing at everything Boris Johnson says.

Around the table, self-congratulation is the principal topic of conversation. Everyone is enjoying this celebration of the architects of post-truth. Then, suddenly, all eyes are drawn to the one guest nobody had heard of until last week: Luis Rubiales, the Spanish football administrator and a man previously barely recognised beyond the confines of his own front room (and certainly not in his own kitchen: that’s where women go).

Fearful that others are hogging the limelight, he congratulates the hostess for the quality of her cooking by grabbing her in an aggressive embrace, before giving her a full-on smacker on the lips and clutching at his groin in an unmistakable gesture of sexual self-aggrandisement.

When she looks a touch discombobulated, he launches a vociferous attack on her, accusing her of conducting a vendetta against him. He will sue for defamation, he says as he throws the food across the table. And if she carries on with her insulting attacks on his integrity, then he has no alternative: he will instruct his mum to lock herself in her local church and go on hunger strike in protest.

If that reads like the plot of a particularly unlikely episode of Black Mirror, what has been going on in Spain these past few days has been no less ridiculous. After the country’s women’s team won the World Cup, there has barely been time or space to talk about the brilliance of their play or the meaning of their achievement.

Is the World Cup kiss Spain’s Me Too moment? | Jim White

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 19:30 , Karl Matchett

Spain’s deputy prime minister has strongly condemned the behaviour of FA president Luis Rubiales after he was accused of grabbing and kissed Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.

Yolanda Diaz said on Monday 28 August that male chauvinism was “systemic” in Spain and had been shown in its worst form when Mr Rubiales on Friday refused to resign as president of Spain’s soccer federation.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 18:45 , Karl Matchett

Protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football federation president to resign

Hundreds of people waving women’s rights placards gathered in the centre of Madrid on Monday 28 August to protest against the Spanish football federation’s president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales was provisionally suspended by Fifa on Saturday 26 August, pending an investigation into his conduct at the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on 20 August.

The 46-year-old grabbed his crotch in the VIP area of the stadium in celebration of Spain’s win over England, before kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy and medals presentation.

His mother is on hunger strike over the “inhuman” treatment of her son, according to reports in Spain.

Watch the video of the protest here:

Hundreds of protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football chief to resign

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:59 , Karl Matchett

The mother of suspended Spanish football president Luis Rubiales remains locked inside a church on hunger strike in protest against her son’s treatment after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup final.

“I will remain here for as long as my body can,” Angeles Bejar messaged a Spanish TV station from inside the church in Motril, southern Spain. “I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”

Bejar is holed up inside the parish church of Divina Pastora in the family’s home town, alongside her sister. Speaking outside the church on Monday, Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz described Bejar as a “woman of great faith who has sought refuge in God”, and said the family wanted Hermoso to “tell the truth” that the kiss was not forced.

‘I am willing to die:’ Luis Rubiales’ mother continues hunger strike inside church

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:28 , Karl Matchett

Ella Toone has said that England’s Lionesses “all stand behind Jennifer Hermoso” with Luis Rubiales still yet to resign after kissing the Spain midfielder without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

The president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) has refused to step down from his role after the incident during the medal ceremony that followed Spain’s triumph ver England in Australia.

Rubiales, who was also criticised for grabbing his crotch during the final, had been expected to resign last week, but declined to do so at an extraordinary press conference.

The saga took another bizarre turn on Monday after the 46-year-old’s mother locked herself inside a church and went on hunger strike, describing the reaction to her son’s behaviour as “an inhuman, bloodthirsty witch hunt”.

Manchester United’s Toone, who was part of the Lionesses side beaten in Sydney, believes that Rubiales’s actions and the subsequent outcry have overshadowed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup win.

Luis Rubiales saga has ‘overshadowed’ Spain World Cup win, says Lionesses’ Ella Toone

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 17:00 , Karl Matchett

Luis Rubiales is facing renewed calls to resign as the fallout from his actions during and after the Women’s World Cup final continues.

In the moments after Spain secured their first Women’s World Cup crown, Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent.

Footage subsequently emerged showing the 46-year-old grabbing his crotch in celebration during the win over England while stood in close proximity to Queen Letizia of Spain.

The former defender had been widely expected to step down from his role after calling a press conference on Friday 25 August, but instead attempted to justify his behaviour, describing the outcry after the final as “a social assassination”.

Here is a timeline of the Spanish FA president’s fall from grace:

Luis Rubiales crisis: How Spanish FA president fell from grace

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 16:40 , Karl Matchett

Right up until the moment that Luis Rubiales took the microphone at the Spanish federation on Friday afternoon, senior figures in Uefa were adamant he would resign. The expectation had even stopped some prominent football officials publicly speaking out.

What followed, even for a sport like this, left many involved “speechless”. It says more than any statement, mind, that Rubiales’s “jaw-dropping political speech” – to use the words of one shocked source – probably wasn’t the most consequential moment of the day. All of this will eventually lead to real action, way beyond words or Spanish football.

In terms of the most immediate effect, Fifa has now suspended Rubiales for 90 days and ordered him not to contact the player he kissed on the lips after the World Cup final, Jenni Hermoso.

Four official complaints against Rubiales are now being investigated and they could ultimately see him banned from sport for anything between two to 15 years.

“This is the end,” Miquel Iceta, Spain’s minister for culture and sport, told El Pais. “This can’t continue like this.”

Spanish football’s ‘MeToo moment’ is a mirror for the entire game

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 16:20 , Karl Matchett

A Spanish striker is boycotting the national team in protest against FA president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales has faced growing calls from across sport and politics to resign from his post running Spanish football after his behaviour at the Women’s World Cup final, where he grabbed his crotch in an aggressive celebration and forcefully kissed one of the players, Jenni Hermoso, on the lips.

He was expected to step down in a press conference on Friday morning but instead declared he would not resign, blamed Hermoso for the kiss and hit out at “false feminism”.

Borja Iglesias, 30, who plays for Real Betis and has made two appearances for the Spanish national team, declared on social media that he would no longer put himself forwards for selection until “this type of act does not go unpunished”.

Spain striker boycotts national team in protest against FA president Luis Rubiales

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 16:00 , Karl Matchett

Fifa has suspended Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales over his conduct and the women’s national team’s coaching staff have walked out as he still refused to resign over the deepening World Cup kiss row.

Rubiales has been banned from all football-related activity for 90 days and is not allowed to contact Spanish midfielder Jenni Hermoso or those close to her.

He is currently the subject of a Fifa investigation into his behaviour after the match, when he kissed forward Hermoso on the lips and was also filmed grabbing his crotch in an aggressive celebration at the full-time whistle. He has come under increasing pressure from across sport and politics but on Friday refused to resign in a chaotic press conference.

While Rubiales held his ground, federation vice president Rafael del Amo, who had been in charge of women’s football, resigned.

Fifa suspends Luis Rubiales and coaching staff walk out over World Cup kiss row

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:40 , Karl Matchett

Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation asked suspended president Luis Rubiales to resign on Monday for kissing a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final.

The heads of the regional bodies that make up the federation (RFEF) made the request in a collective statement.

“After the latest developments and the unacceptable behavior that has caused great damage to the image of Spanish soccer, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the statement said.

The heads also urged interim president Pedro Rocha to immediately withdraw the federation’s request to Uefa on Monday to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference over demands to remove Rubiales.

That move was widely seen as an attempt to silence some of Rubiales’ critics, including government ministers who have asked for his removal, as such a suspension would ban Spanish teams from competitions like the Champions League and could sway public opinion in favor of letting him keep his job.

Spanish FA asks president Luis Rubiales to resign after World Cup kiss

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:20 , Reuters

Regional representatives of the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) have demanded the immediate resignation of the body’s chief Luis Rubiales - but stopped short of calling for a motion of no confidence - for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup.

The Federation’s move came as the situation has spiralled into a national row over women’s rights, macho behaviour and sexual abuse with many acting ministers asking for Rubiales to leave. Many of the federation representatives had applauded Rubiales when he announced on Friday he would not quit, but late on Monday asked him to step down and called for a restructuring of key positions in the federation “to allow for a new phase of management in Spanish football” with more gender equality.

“Following recent events and the unacceptable behaviour that has seriously damaged Spanish football’s image, the (regional) presidents demand that Luis Rubiales immediately resign,” the representatives said in a statement. The about-turn at the federation followed the opening of a preliminary probe by the High Court prosecutor on whether Rubiales might have committed an act of sexual aggression and piled pressure on Rubiales. He was suspended by FIFA from all soccer-related activities for three months on Saturday amid a furore over the incident at the presentation ceremony following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win in Sydney on Aug. 20.

Gender issues are a prominent topic in Spain.

The outgoing Socialist-led government has presided over a raft of legal reforms around gender change, abortion and sex work. A loophole in its law around sexual consent, however, let rapists out of jail, resulting in a significant electoral loss by the far-left Podemos party, in the government coalition, in July’s election.

Rubiales, 46, has refused to step down, saying the kiss - which took place in a live broadcast - was consensual.

His mother is holed up in a church in the family’s hometown of Motril and has started a hunger strike in support of her son.

A few dozen residents of Motril on Monday gathered outside the church, shouting, clapping and holding up signs in support of Rubiales and his mother. “Stop hunt against Rubiales, enough!”, read one of the signs.

Some residents said calls for Rubiales to step down were an “excessive” punishment.

“We are talking about a little kiss, he didn’t kill anyone,” Amparo Macias said.

Hermoso, her team mates and the Spanish government say the kiss was unwanted and demeaning.

Acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz demanded the dismissal of the head coaches of both the men’s and women’s national teams.

Reuters

Luis Rubiales saga has overshadowed Spain World Cup win, says Lionesses’ Ella Toone

Tuesday 29 August 2023 15:00 , Karl Matchett

Ella Toone has said that England’s Lionesses “all stand behind Jennifer Hermoso” with Luis Rubiales still yet to resign after kissing the Spain midfielder without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

The president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) has refused to step down from his role after the incident during the medal ceremony that followed Spain’s triumph ver England in Australia.

Rubiales, who was also criticised for grabbing his crotch during the final, had been expected to resign last week, but declined to do so at an extraordinary press conference.

The saga took another bizarre turn on Monday after the 46-year-old’s mother locked herself inside a church and went on hunger strike, describing the reaction to her son’s behaviour as “an inhuman, bloodthirsty witch hunt”.

Manchester United’s Toone, who was part of the Lionesses side beaten in Sydney, believes that Rubiales’s actions and the subsequent outcry have overshadowed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup win.

Luis Rubiales saga has ‘overshadowed’ Spain World Cup win, says Lionesses’ Ella Toone

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:40 , Karl Matchett

Continuing with the Spanish players, Putellas added that other nations have had issues at the Women’s World Cup which means players are not afforded the same opportunity to simply focus on doing their job which men’s teams seem able to.

“It annoys me because it’s not just one country. It’s very repetitive. And Fifa have to take note. There are many countries who have spent time with disputes,” she said to Marca. “That saps your energy when the player only wants to focus on training, looking after themselves, prepare properly and leave everything on the pitch.

“All the energy you spend on arguing, in having your say, on strategic plans… we’re players! I’ve lost some of my romanticism, but not on the pitch.”

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:20 , Karl Matchett

Andres Iniesta has spoken out on social media about the conduct of Rubiales and how his refusal to accept responsibility for unacceptable actions has tarnished Spain’s World Cup win.

“After what has happened this week, I would like to convey my sadness, as a person, as the father of three daughters, as a husband and as a footballer, in the face of the events that we are experiencing in our football and around the Spanish women’s team.

“I believe that we cannot tolerate performances like the ones we have seen, which have tarnished a milestone as big as winning a World Cup. I cannot imagine the feeling that all the players of the national team must have right now seeing how they are not talking about the great tournament they had and the fantastic football they taught us all.

“It’s a shame that a beautiful story that many players have built over so many years has become dirty. Instead, we have had to put up with a president who has held on to his position, who has not admitted that his behavior has been unacceptable and that it is damaging the image of our country and our football around the world.”

Alexia Putellas, meanwhile, told Spanish media she was fully behind her teammate Jenni Hermoso and that the event showed women’s football is still playing catchup to the men’s game, with respect and equality in treatment still sadly lacking.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 14:00 , Karl Matchett

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (Rfef) was handed a resignation on Friday but not the one they were expecting. It was widely expected that Luis Rubiales, the Spanish FA president, would announce his resignation in a press conference, but he opted instead to mount a crazed defence of his own actions and blame Jenni Hermoso instead, among others.

Speaking after the press conference the President of Spain’s Women’s football committee, Rafael del Amo, announced that he had handed in his own resignation due to Rubiales remaining in his post.

Spain’s women’s football committee president resigns over Luis Rubiales controversy

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:40 , Karl Matchett

Joan Soteras has explained his 180-degree change, from backing Rubiales in the Rfef session where the president refused to resign, to calling for him to go. Soteras is the Catalan Football Federation president and told Tu Diras that although Rubiales backed him when he himself came under fire, he now realises the “disaster” created by Rubiales means he must depart.

“I didn’t want to ask for it. Rubiales has done everything very badly, it has been very critisisable and a disaster, but in two and a half years I have had a very bad time in Catalonia. I have been vilified, I have been disrespected, they threatened me. And Rubiales was one of the few people who defended me,” Soteras said.

“I applauded a little, like most of us who were there. [But] there had been an event at noon that had not been pleasant, and [later] I understood that I had to fold.”

Not exactly a resounding denouncement of Rubiales’ actions, but that’s one of the voices now saying the Rfef president must leave.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:20 , Karl Matchett

Prosecutors from Spain’s top criminal court announced yesterday they believe the facts in the case against Luis Rubiales may constitute an offence of sexual harassment.

The prosecutors office said: “It was agreed to approach Jenni Hermoso so as to inform her of her rights as a possible victim of the offence of sexual harassment... and to offer her the opportunity should she wish within the next 15 days to file a complaint with the Prosecutors Office of the Spanish High Court.”

It said it opened pretrial enquiries because of “public statements made by Jenni Hermoso that the sexual act she experienced and was carried out by Mr Rubiales was non-consensual”.

Hermoso released a statement on Friday to explain her side of the incident and now has a further two weeks to formalise the complaint with the prosecutors office.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 13:00 , Karl Matchett

The case of Rubiales - and Jorge Vilda, let’s not forget - has stirred memories and anger of Nacho Quereda’s behaviour, too - the former long-term coach of the Spanish women’s team.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 12:40 , Karl Matchett

Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales’ behaviour at the World Cup final on Sunday (20 August) “ruined” Spain’s victory celebrations, England international Jess Carter has said.

Speaking to ITV, the Lioness described Rubiales’ decision to kiss Jenny Hermoso as “unacceptable” and questioned if a similar incident would occur in the men’s game.

Carter said: “For me, Spain have just achieved an incredible thing and it’s almost been tarnished a little bit by one person’s actions.

“That moment ruined what should have been only a massive celebration for Spain and for Jenny Hermoso.”

Jess Carter: Spanish FA president kissing midfielder ‘ruined’ celebration

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 12:20 , Karl Matchett

Spanish prosecutors at the top criminal court in the country have opened a preliminary investigation into Luis Rubiales’ actions to determine whether his kiss on Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney constitutes a crime of sexual assault.

The investigation is looking into whether Rubiales, the president of the country’s football federation, could be charged with committing an act of sexual aggression on Hermoso.

The prosecutors office had received six complaints over Rubiales’ conduct but had waited for the player to make an official complaint.

That came in the form of a statement Hermoso released Friday saying that she felt ‘vulnerable’ and at no point ‘consented to the kiss’ with Rubiales.

Opposition has steadily grown in response to Rubiales’ conduct and his strident defence of it. The Rfef has found itself under increasing pressure to take action with the federation currently in an emergency meeting to discuss the issue.

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 12:19 , Karl Matchett

England’s Ella Toone has been speaking to BBC Breakfast about the situation around final opponents Spain.

“Spain were unbelievable throughout the tournament and they’ve won the World Cup which should be the main talking point.

“Yet it’s overshadowed by something which happened after the game which isn’t acceptable. The Lionesses all stand by Jennifer Hermoso,” Toone said.

“A couple of the girls, the leaders in the squad, got together and brought a statement that we all believe in and to show our support and solidarity, to show we’re thinking of Hermoso and show we want the right thing to be done.

“It doesn’t just go away with a sorry - which he hasn’t said either. We should be talking about the success of the World Cup and how much we’ve inspired the next generation. Hopefully the right thing is done.”

Spanish football’s ‘MeToo moment’ is a mirror for the entire game

Tuesday 29 August 2023 12:00 , Karl Matchett

Right up until the moment that Luis Rubiales took the microphone at the Spanish federation on Friday afternoon, senior figures in Uefa were adamant he would resign. The expectation had even stopped some prominent football officials publicly speaking out.

What followed, even for a sport like this, left many involved “speechless”. It says more than any statement, mind, that Rubiales’s “jaw-dropping political speech” – to use the words of one shocked source – probably wasn’t the most consequential moment of the day. All of this will eventually lead to real action, way beyond words or Spanish football.

In terms of the most immediate effect, Fifa has now suspended Rubiales for 90 days and ordered him not to contact the player he kissed on the lips after the World Cup final, Jenni Hermoso.

Four official complaints against Rubiales are now being investigated and they could ultimately see him banned from sport for anything between two to 15 years.

“This is the end,” Miquel Iceta, Spain’s minister for culture and sport, told El Pais. “This can’t continue like this.”

Spanish football’s ‘MeToo moment’ is a mirror for the entire game

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:48 , Karl Matchett

Spain’s deputy prime minister has strongly condemned the behaviour of FA president Luis Rubiales after he was accused of grabbing and kissed Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.

Yolanda Diaz said on Monday 28 August that male chauvinism was “systemic” in Spain and had been shown in its worst form when Mr Rubiales on Friday refused to resign as president of Spain’s soccer federation.

Rubiales’ behaviour after World Cup shows ‘worst of Spanish society’

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:30 , Karl Matchett

The behaviour of the Spanish FA and others closing ranks around Rubiales in the early days of this process highlights the scale of challenges women face - even with apparently incontrovertible evidence in their favour, says one BBC report.

“This is exactly why many women do not come forward to report harassment or abuse,” said Teresa Parker from Women’s Aid, a charity supporting women facing abuse, to the BBC. She added that what had happened would seem to many to go “beyond gaslighting”.

“We are being asked to ignore what you can see on film, and to dismiss a woman when she says she didn’t consent. It is an outrageous situation.”

In the same report, Laura Bates, the founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, said: “What we are seeing here is powerful men closing ranks to protect one another with a deliberate and sustained campaign of gaslighting and victim-blaming on an international scale.

“The irony is that women are so often told an allegation is meaningless without evidence. But what we can see from this case is that even when the evidence is iron-clad the woman is disbelieved anyway, so we really can’t win.

“This happened on an international stage, witnessed by millions... and yet both Rubiales and the entire football institution told her she was wrong.”

Spanish protesters tell Jenni Hermoso to ‘tell the truth'

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:15 , Karl Matchett

Not all the protests appear to be in favour of dismissing Rubiales. El Mundo report that a small gathering outside the church where his mother is continuing her hunger strike held up banners demanding Jenni Hermoso, the player Rubiales kissed without consent, come forward with a real version of events which they clearly feel would exonorate the Rfef president. “The truth only has one way, Jenni, be honest!” and “Jenni, why don’t you tell the truth?” were read on the banners.

Protesters also “furiously attacked the government of Pedro Sánchez”, the report claims. One interviewed person in attendance suggested the government were criticising Rubiales and calling for his dismissal to “cover up other things”.

Spanish FA launches ‘sexual violence protocol’ against Luis Rubiales ahead of urgent meeting

Tuesday 29 August 2023 11:00 , Karl Matchett

Spain’s football federation will meet urgently on Monday as its president, Luis Rubiales, faces a Fifa suspension and a storm of criticism over allegations he gave a player an unwanted kiss on the lips following Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup.

In addition, the Spanish federation has launched an internal investigation through its sexual violence protocol, which comes into action after a complaint is submitted.

Rubiales has steadfastly refused to resign over the incident involving player Jenni Hermoso last Sunday in Sydney, saying the kiss was consensual. Players and a string of coaches on the women’s squad are demanding his resignation, and the government also wants him to step down.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has called regional federations to an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting on Monday “to evaluate the situation in which the federation finds itself” following Rubiales’ suspension, a RFEF spokesperson said on Sunday.

“Our protocol is currently activated and in the midst of investigating the events, thus we demand the utmost respect for the right to privacy and dignity of all individuals involved,” said Maria Dolores Martinez Madrona, RFEF’s sexual violence protocol delegate, in a letter published by the federation.

Spanish FA launch ‘sexual violence protocol’ against Rubiales ahead of urgent meeting

Luis Rubiales crisis: How Spanish FA president fell from grace

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:45 , Karl Matchett

Luis Rubiales is facing renewed calls to resign as the fallout from his actions during and after the Women’s World Cup final continues.

In the moments after Spain secured their first Women’s World Cup crown, Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent.

Footage subsequently emerged showing the 46-year-old grabbing his crotch in celebration during the win over England while stood in close proximity to Queen Letizia of Spain.

The former defender had been widely expected to step down from his role after calling a press conference on Friday 25 August, but instead attempted to justify his behaviour, describing the outcry after the final as “a social assassination”.

Here is a timeline of the Spanish FA president’s fall from grace:

Luis Rubiales crisis: How Spanish FA president fell from grace

Luis Rubiales’ mother continues hunger strike locked inside church

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:30 , Karl Matchett

The mother of suspended Spanish football president Luis Rubiales remains locked inside a church on hunger strike in protest against her son’s treatment after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup final.

“I will remain here for as long as my body can,” Angeles Bejar messaged a Spanish TV station from inside the church in Motril, southern Spain. “I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”

Bejar is holed up inside the parish church of Divina Pastora in the family’s home town, alongside her sister. Speaking outside the church on Monday, Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz described Bejar as a “woman of great faith who has sought refuge in God”, and said the family wanted Hermoso to “tell the truth” that the kiss was not forced.

‘I am willing to die:’ Luis Rubiales’ mother continues hunger strike inside church

Uefa rejects Spanish expulsion plea as Luis Rubiales crisis takes bizarre new twist

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:15 , Karl Matchett

Yesterday’s developments in the Luis Rubiales controversy took a dramatic and strange twist as key figures from within the Spanish FA asked for its own teams to be expelled from Uefa competition.

Miguel Delaney has the details:

The request to the European body that is being seen as the most significant, given it sums up how surreal the story has become.

With Rubiales facing a series of official complaints and a government process that could yet see him banned from sport in Spain for two to 15 years – to go with his current 90-day suspension from Fifa – the federation sent a request to Uefa to be expelled for breaking Uefa’s own statutes on state interference. Expulsion would see clubs including Real Madrid and Barcelona kicked out of European competitions such as the Champions League.

The move has been interpreted as “bluster” and “brinkmanship” by the federation in order to support Rubiales, but it would still involve all of Spain’s club and national teams being removed from competition, depriving them of income and – in the words of one party – “setting Spanish football back years”.

Full report:

Uefa rejects Spanish expulsion plea as Luis Rubiales crisis takes bizarre new twist

Protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football federation president to resign

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:09 , Karl Matchett

Hundreds of people waving women’s rights placards gathered in the centre of Madrid on Monday 28 August to protest against the Spanish football federation’s president Luis Rubiales.

Rubiales was provisionally suspended by Fifa on Saturday 26 August, pending an investigation into his conduct at the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on 20 August.

The 46-year-old grabbed his crotch in the VIP area of the stadium in celebration of Spain’s win over England, before kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy and medals presentation.

His mother is on hunger strike over the “inhuman” treatment of her son, according to reports in Spain.

Watch the video of the protest here:

Hundreds of protesters gather in Madrid calling for Spanish football chief to resign

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 10:03 , Karl Matchett

Just a few days after giving Luis Rubiales their full backing, the Spanish football authorities have made an about-turn.

Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation asked suspended president Luis Rubiales to resign on Monday for kissing a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final.

The heads of the regional bodies that make up the federation (RFEF) made the request in a collective statement.

“After the latest developments and the unacceptable behavior that has caused great damage to the image of Spanish soccer, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the statement said.

The heads also urged interim president Pedro Rocha to immediately withdraw the federation’s request to Uefa on Monday to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference over demands to remove Rubiales.

Full details here:

Spanish FA asks president Luis Rubiales to resign after World Cup kiss

Luis Rubiales - latest updates

Tuesday 29 August 2023 09:55 , Karl Matchett

Luis Rubiales and the Spanish football federation (Rfef) remain under intense pressure and scrutiny following the president’s kiss on Jenni Hermoso following the Fifa Women’s World Cup final win.

Follow the Independent’s live blog as we bring you the latest updates regarding his refusal to resign, his mother’s hunger strike, police involvement, Uefa and Fifa statements and more.