SPANISH Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has remained defiant in the face of calls for him to step down following the outrage that trailed his conduct at the FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Sydney, Australia last Sunday.
Rubiales, 46, sparked an uproar when he kissed Spain’s Jenni Hermoso on the mouth as she collected her medal following the 1-0 win over England in Sydney.
Footage also emerged showing Rubiales grabbing his crotch while standing near Queen Letizia of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter Princess Infanta Sofia.
There were suggestions that he would resign today and be replaced by Pedro Rocha as the new president of the federation, but Rubiales has stubbornly held on to his position.
Rubiales spoke at an RFEF press conference today after intense pressure from football unions, top government officials and FIFA.
He said: “There are many people who, although silenced, are continuing to support me a lot.
“This is the body that elected me and the body to which I must give explanations. I want to thank everyone for the messages of support that you have sent me, there have been many messages that I have received.
“I want to apologise for an event that occurred in the (VIP) box (at the final). I am going to explain it because I was looking at Jorge Vilda (the Spanish women’s manager). We have been through a lot together, and they have wanted to do to you the same thing that they are doing to me now, they are trying to create a false version of events and turn it into reality.
“I was very emotional after we won the World Cup and you (Vilda) turned around and dedicated the win to me. There I made the gesture (of grabbing his testicles), I apologise to Her Majesty the Queen. I have never behaved like this in a box before. I do not justify myself, sorry.
“I want to give my explanation about the peck (small kiss), it was a peck. The desire that I could have given that kiss was the same desire that I could have giving my daughter a kiss, here there was no dominance.
“It was spontaneous, mutual and consensual. It was consensual. I have a great relationship with all the players and we had very affectionate moments in this tournament. The moment Jenni appeared, she picked me up from the ground and when she left me we hugged and I told her forget about the penalty, you’ve been fantastic in this World Cup and she told me you’re a star, I told her a little bit? and it happened.
“Here they are not trying to do justice, they are doing a social murder.
“For five years they have been after me with everything. Complaints, lawsuits and requests for me to step down. False feminism does not seek the truth, it seeks to portray itself that it is moving us forward. They do not care about people.”
World football governing body FIFA Aldi announced yesterday that it had opened disciplinary proceedings against the football chief, who had been clinging on to his position.
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