We want you out!: People protesting against Luis Rubiales outside the Spanish Football Federation headquarters. — Reuters
ONE week after the president of the Spanish football federation kissed a player during the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony, his reputation is in tatters and he’s out of his job.
Luis Rubiales, whose leadership of Spanish football had already been marked by successes tinged with scandal, wrecked his career by offending millions worldwide with his conduct at the final in Sydney, Australia, when he also grabbed his crotch in a victory gesture.
“Rubiales cannot run Spanish football again,” Spanish minister Maria Jesus Montero said on Sunday, a day after he was provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days.
“We had enough of him when he marred the great triumph of women’s football with his intolerable attitude.”
FIFA moved against Rubiales after he refused to step down and defiantly told an emergency assembly of his federation on Aug 25 that he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”.
On a day that will go down as one of the ugliest in Spanish football, Rubiales said that forward Jenni Hermoso had consented to the “mutual” kiss.
Hermoso replied in two statements to say that was false and that she considered herself the victim of an abuse of power. She also accused the federation of trying to pressure her into supporting Rubiales. The federation hit back by saying she was lying and that they would take legal action against her.
As part of his suspension of Rubiales, FIFA disciplinary judge Jorge Palacio ordered Rubiales and the federation not to contact Hermoso.
Spain’s government is also pursuing his permanent removal in Spain’s Administrative Court for Sports. The court will meet next week to consider the government’s lawsuit for an alleged abuse of power and for allegedly committing acts that tarnished the dignity and decorum of a sporting event. If found guilty, Rubiales could be ruled unfit to hold office.
Spain great Andres Iniesta, a 2010 World Cup winner, said “after what has happened this week I would like to express my sadness, as a person, as a father of three girls, as a husband and as a football player”.
“We have had to bear this president who clung to power, didn’t admit that his behaviour had been unacceptable and was damaging the image of our country and our football before the world,” Iniesta said on X, formerly known as Twitter.
Rubiales was replaced by his vice-president Pedro Rocha, who will act as interim chief in his absence. Rocha is considered to be a confidant of Rubiales.
On Sunday, Rocha called an emergency meeting of the regional federation chiefs to discuss the crisis.
Rubiales’ behaviour has tarnished not only the greatest feat of Spanish women’s football, it has also torn apart his federation.
The only public support Rubiales has received came during last Friday’s general assembly when he was applauded several times by parts of the mostly male crowd, which was made up of regional federation officials, coaches, referees and players from lower divisions.
But his refusal to go quietly led to some resignations from his board, including the vice-president in charge of women’s football.
Those who applauded his diatribe included women’s coach Jorge Vilda – Hermoso’s coach – and Spain’s men’s coach Luis de la Fuente. But once FIFA took down Rubiales, it took only hours for both coaches to issue statements sanctioning their suddenly former boss.
Rubiales is a 46-year-old former player who headed a players’ union – which this week joined the chorus demanding his resignation – before he was elected to run the federation in 2018. He has not shied away from controversy since, but has shored up internal support by boosting revenues.
Rubiales made €339,000 (RM1.6mil) in 2021 after taxes, for presiding over the federation with a budget of €382mil (RM1.9bil). The federation run Spain’s men’s and women’s national football teams and their semi-professional and amateur football leagues. They also organise the referees. The government maintains some oversight of the entity but it cannot name or remove their executives.
Weeks after becoming the most powerful man in Spanish football, Rubiales showed he wouldn’t tolerate any act that he considered disloyal when he fired the coach of Spain’s men’s team just two days before their first match at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Julen Lopetegui had just agreed to join Real Madrid after the tournament, but Rubiales felt he had betrayed the national team and sacked him.
Rubiales revolutionised the Spanish Super Cup in 2019 by expanding it from two to four teams and taking it to Saudi Arabia – now the big draw for top European talent like Cristiano Ronaldo – in exchange for US$40mil (RM186mil) a year.
The clubs and federation loved the cash, but the move was criticised by women’s and human rights groups for the regime’s treatment of women and minorities. Spanish authorities also scrutinised the deal, and an investigative judge is probing the legality of the Super Cup contracts that apparently included money going to then Barcelona player Gerard Pique.
In part, Rubiales was tolerated because he was considered better than his predecessor, Angel Maria Villar, who was in power for nearly three decades before he ended up behind bars for widespread corruption.
Rubiales increased his hold on power by becoming a vice-president with UEFA, who have remained silent on the scandal. Rubiales was spearheadeding what promised to be his greatest prize: a joint bid to host the 2030 men’s World Cup with Portugal, Morocco and possibly Ukraine.
But it seems the greatest sporting achievement of Spanish football under his watch has led to his downfall – unless he can successfully fight against both FIFA and Spain’s government.
Not only were his actions deemed out of line, his erratic handling of the scandal – which swerved from insulting his critics, to an awkward apology, and eventually his tirade against feminism – did him in.
The response from Spanish society has been overwhelmingly supportive of Hermoso and against Rubiales.
Her Spain teammates, along with more than 50 other women players, said they would not play for Spain as long as he remains.
Messages in support of the player and condemning Rubiales have poured in from Spanish and foreign players, the most powerful football clubs – Real, Barcelona, Sevilla, Athletic Bilbao, Valencia, among others – and from political parties from the far left to the centre right.
“Luis Rubiales is finished,” the president of Spain’s women’s league, Beatriz Alvarez, said. “He has dug his own grave with his acts and his words.” — AP
