FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales on Thursday after the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women’s World Cup final last weekend.
“The FIFA disciplinary committee informed Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final,” world football’s governing body said in a statement.
FIFA said the incident “may constitute violations of article 13 paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA disciplinary code”.
Spain star Hermoso released a joint statement with union Futpro on Wednesday, which called for action to be taken against the RFEF president.
“We are working to ensure that acts such as those we have seen never go unpunished, that they are sanctioned and that the exemplary measures are adopted to protect women footballers from actions that we believe are unacceptable,” the statement said.
Spain’s women’s football league, Liga F, also called for Rubiales to be sacked.
Rubiales, 46, initially attacked his critics before eventually apologising but the criticism of his behaviour has not abated.
After being forcibly kissed by Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales, World Cup star Jenni Hermoso says the inappropriate act should not go unpunished.
She also stated that the FUTPRO players’ union and her agent would “defend my interests and speak on my behalf.”
The union is working “so that acts like the ones we witnessed don’t go unpunished, are sanctioned, and that pertinent measures are adopted to protect the soccer players against actions that are unacceptable,” she said.
REPORTERS AT LARGE recalls that the 33-year-old striker and key player for Spain, Hermoso, said of the kiss – which was caught on video that’s been shared widely across social media – that “I didn’t like it, but what could I do”.
