In a statement, the federation said that it would take the “necessary legal action” and told the female players that “playing for the national team is an obligation on any member of the federation called upon to do so”.
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The Spanish football federation has threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of a row over its president’s conduct, for lying and defamation.
It has also threatened to sue the 79 women’s football players who signed a letter in which they refused to play for their country as long as Rubiales remained in his post.
The move is the latest chapter in a fast-moving story after Rubiales kissed the Spanish player Jenni Hermoso after their World Cup victory a week ago, a kiss Hermoso says was not consensual and made her feel “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression”.
“I don’t want to interfere in the legal process but I feel obliged to report that the words used by Sr Luis Rubiales to explain what happened are categorically untrue and are part of the manipulative culture that he himself has created.
The federation reproduced a series of still photographs of the incident that it claims show that Hermoso lifted Rubiales off his feet and was not only willing but an instigator of the kiss.
Both Rubiales’ rambling speech on Friday, in which he said he was a victim of a witch-hunt and “fake feminism”, and the federation’s defence of him are increasingly seen as a battle that goes far beyond football, a struggle between an entrenched, entitled male hierarchy and a more modern, feminist Spain.
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Insanity.
If he resigned he might still save himself from public humiliation. Now everyone is going to see the misogyny and understand the sexist attitude in some part of Spain.
He kissed her as way of celebration after winning the series. Understandable. She didn’t want to be kissed and felt violated, so she made a complaint about it. Understandable.
He could’ve solved this by simply apologising. Assuming this was a “first offence”, it would’ve been solved for the most part. Maybe she wouldn’t accept it, but the public probably would.
Instead they’ve escalated the accident into a lawsuit and made a public enemy of themselves.
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@abbadon420
Maybe she wouldn’t accept it, but the public probably would.
So violating an individual’s rights is acceptable as long as ‘the public’ accepts it?
And if so, who is ‘the public’? I feel I’m also part of the public in that case, and don’t accept it.
Instead they’ve escalated the accident into a lawsuit and made a public enemy of themselves.
No, not ‘they’. It was just him, can’t see any wrongdoing by her.
I think the they refers to the federation.
So violating an individual’s rights is acceptable as long as ‘the public’ accepts it?
Zero tolerance policies suck. There has to be some room for forgiveness.
Zero tolerance policies suck. There has to be some room for forgiveness.
That may or may not be true as a generic statement, but in the given case it’s far too late for forgiveness. This man crossed more than one line.
I think if the actions he took afterwards that are being reported are true, the time for forgiveness is way past, as you say.
Well, I said “assuming it was a first offence”. I don’t know anything about this guy or his history. If it has happened before, it’s a whole different story. The scenario of “simply apologize” doesn’t apply for repeat offenders, obviously. Also the apology-scenario doesn’t apply now anymore, it could’ve applied as a first response, but they (the entire soccer league) chose to be dicksheads instead.
‘They’ being the Spanish futbol federation, I believe.
Yes, that’s what I meant
In that case the Spanish federation appears to be Rubiales alone. In the meantime he has been suspended by the world federation, and with the pressure from Spanish politics and all tbe others we can hope that he ‘will be resigned’ soon.
Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias has announced his intention to step down from the Spanish national soccer team, following statements made by Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales and his refusal to resign in the wake of the scandal caused by a non-consensual kiss with midfielder Jenni Hermoso after the victory of the women’s team at the 2023 World Cup. “I am sad and disappointed,” Iglesias said, while declaring solidarity with his “teammate” Hermoso.
“How to escalate a situation, for Dummies”
Spain, that’s the same country as the “wolf gangs”, right?
Un-fucking-believable. Time to fire everyone in any leedership capacity and start from scratch with people who are not caricatures of mid 20th century machoism.
Damn. He didn’t double down. He triple downed.
:popcorn:
From an outside perspective this whole thing seems to be blown way out of proportion. It’s a dumb mistake, apologize and move on? Why does this need to be world news, require government involvement and cost multiple people’s careers?
It may seem small but since forever women have been subjected to the whims of men and violated. After enduring trauma they experience further damage by either not being believed, defense of the violator, being blamed for what happened to them amongst several others. Consent matters. This man violated her, the federation lied by putting out a false statement from her. It’s become headlines due to it happening publicly on the biggest stage in women’s sports. It’s dangerous to just label a physical violation of consent as a dumb mistake. Then you factor everything that’s taken place since and it’s why it’s reached the level that it has.
“Why is everyone so mad about sexual assault?”
I’ve been touched in an inappropriate place when I didn’t want to be more than once. I just said I didn’t appreciate it, the person touching me apologized and that was it. I think it’s absolute insanity to demand someones life to be ruined over something like that. People simply make bad judgement calls sometimes.
“the person touching me apologized”
Important part missing from this puzzle; any acknowledgment or apology from the leader of an organization sexually harassing women he has power over.
I’m pretty certain he has already publicly apologized though. Not to mention that we have no clue about their private interactions.
Again, this doesn’t seem like something that requires international attention. I believe the two of them could figure it out themselves just fine.
“I’m pretty certain he has already publicly apologized though.”
Feel free to share evidence of the public apology, you seem to be remembering something no one else saw. All I’m seeing is him making excuses, no apology.
We saw it as something natural and normal," he continued in the video — which was not posted on federation’s social media channels. “But on the outside it has caused commotion, because people have felt hurt by it, so I have to apologize; there’s no alternative. I have to learn from this and understand that a president of an institution as important as the federation — above all in ceremonies and that kind of thing — should be more careful.”
He did not address his postgame locker-room declaration that he would marry Hermoso; nor his celebration shortly after the final whistle, which included grabbing his crotch; nor the battle with women’s national team players that he publicized and inflamed last September.
Seems like he’s apologizing because he was called out specifically, not that he’s actually remorseful for what he did or thinks he did anything wrong.
Not to mention that we have no clue about their private interactions.
What a bullshit. There’s no ‘private interaction.’ Such a comment is as unacceptable as this so-called president.
He never apologizes tho, and therefore should be fired.
Also you weren’t touched on live tv in front of millions of people? Plus it was probably not your ‘boss’ doing it either.
Threatening to sue doesn’t sound like apologizing though.
That’s in response to the calls for resignation. He just wants to keep his job.
People want a lot of things they’re not likely to get.
Sometimes when you fuck up, you don’t get to keep your job afterwards. Quadrupling down and suing because you fucked up and don’t want to take your lumps just makes you look worse in the long run.
Right, people should never defend themselves and just go with what popular opinion demands of them. Because social media is always right about such things.
Aside from the massive strawman here, you’re defending a dude who sexually assaulted a player under them in public and on film.
In this case, yes, exactly what you said entirely unironically. He shouldn’t defend himself for committing sexual assault because that’s unacceptable no matter what, and he should have gone with the popular demands to step down for committing an unacceptable act. Because social media is right in this case.
Okay, so you’re arguing that this guy should be let alone after he allegedly lied. He said it was the female player who told him to kiss in her lips. That’s your position. Alright, everyone, he keeps his job, nothing to see here!
I’m saying I believe they can figure it out amongst themselves without massive international attention. Social media has this tendency to blow things way out of proportion despite not even knowing any of the context. I don’t know what the fair resolution would be, but it seems odd to me that this mans life should be ruined over a kiss.
but it seems odd to me that this mans life should be ruined over a kiss.
This was not ‘a kiss’, this was sexual assault.
I mean, he’s the god-damn head of the national football association. Of course, that person is unfit for that role.
Let’s be clear. If his life gets ruined he did it to himself. This whole thing would have been forgotten if he sincerely apologised on the first day but he is choosing to bully Jenni Hermoso instead.
I guess violations of human rights like the one we have here happen a million times a day across the globe, although mostly not in the public sphere. Sexual harassment is not ‘blown out of proportion’, it has to have consequences as any crime.
I think there was a time when he could have apologized for a dumb mistake and everyone would have moved on. It is world news now because HE chose another and unfortunate path - which probably has no route back to the sunlit lands.
As I said in another reply, there was never any chance of this guy apologizing.
If anyone expected a (real) apology they don’t much about him.
Dumb mistake??? How do you mistakenly kiss someone???
Stop justifying sexual assault!
By believing the other person would be fine with it. It happens.
Doing it to people with whom you have no intimate relationship and without asking is exactly how you get sexual assault charges.
I’ve done that plenty of times when going out. It’s been done to me plenty of times as well. That’s how I got my current girlfriend. This idea that you always need to first get explicit permission before making a move is not how real life works.
Besides, he’s said he asked beforehand. Who are we to judge what really happened? I have no clue.
I’ll stand by my opinion that a kiss should not nearly be serious enough to ruin someones life.
@N1cknamed The world has changed. This is how it works nowadays. We’re not expected to put up with strangers slobbering on us anymore. If a man kissed me without permission, I’d punch him. Hard.
Well, I’d hate to live where you do.
Going out together on a date is an entirely different situation. You’ve both already decided there’s some interest in one another, and presumably with the date going well and a bit sense in reading the other person’s feeling, explicit permission obviously may not be necessary. And you probably still wouldn’t do a surprise sneak-attack kiss in a very public setting.
What happened here was terrible and was completely unwarranted. He used his position of power to take advantage. They had no intimate or any relationship outside of professional sports and there was literally no reason for this dude to think she wants me to kiss her.
Do you kiss subordinates who you have power over when you go out?
Rubiales it’s not a “dumb mistake” kind of guy. It’s an “I’m untouchable and can do whatever I want” kind of guy. This is part of a years long trend.
I mean, he is indicted for several corruption cases, accused of holding orgies paid with federation funds, and being a shady creep. Spanish sports federations and national government have protected him from prosecution, delaying several cases. Let’s see for how much longer.
He also is kind of bad as a federation president, petty, dismissive with some teams, blind to corruption and deals between teams and referees, slow to accept the popularity of women’s football, and many more bad decisions.
It’s not an innocent guy that made an honest mistake, it’s the kind of guy that treats other people like objects and have the power and influence to avoid or delay the consequences of his actions.
He should have resigned years ago, he will not do it. But now he has done something that:
- it’s easy to explain.
- has been seen around the world.
- looks very bad.
So everyone that wanted him out of the federation for whatever reason (this one included) seems to be taking the chance.
As an Spaniard that doesn’t really care about football, but knows the kind of use this guy and others like him are making of their power, influence and taxpayer’s money ABOUT TIME.
Because it’s part of the underlying condition of a male-dominated world where men try to keep women down and in their place by treating these patronizing, chauvinist acts as “just a little mistake. Move on.” No, it’s time to root this garbage out for good.
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Because the coach isn’t apologizing and moving on. He’s helping getting the player punished for rightfully complaining about it.
I’m pretty sure professional athletes have the right to strike just like anyone else.
USA national team player Alex Morgan has come out in support of Jenni Hermoso, saying she was “disgusted” by how the Spain forward had been treated.
Majority of coaches on Spain’s women’s team resign as Luis Rubiales vows to fight on
In a statement, eleven coaches and technical staff said they would resign in protest against the 46-year-old’s defiant stance about the kiss, which Hermoso has said was unwanted.
“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,” the statement said.
Fifa suspends Luis Rubiales from all football-related activity over Hermoso kiss
A Fifa statement said: “The chairman of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio (Colombia), in use of the powers granted by article 51 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code (FDC), has decided today to provisionally suspend Mr. Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level.
It’s over’: World Cup kiss becomes Spanish football’s #MeToo moment
Jenni Hermoso receives ovation at Madrid match as hashtag #SeAcabo is embraced on social media in wake of Rubiales scandal
