The President of the Spanish Football Federation refused to resign on Friday, despite the turmoil that broke out after he kissed a player on the lips without his consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

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Luis Rubiales said at the federation’s emergency general assembly four times in a row that he would not “resign” and claimed that “fake feminists” were victims of witch hunts.

At the awards ceremony after Spain beat England in the final in Sydney, Australia, Rubiales kissed Spain and CF Pachuca player Jenni Hermoso on the lips and cast a shadow over the championship celebrations with her actions.

Several Spanish media outlets reported on Thursday that Rubiales plans to resign.

That same day, FIFA, football’s global governing body and organizer of the Women’s World Cup, filed a disciplinary action against her.

The disciplinary committee was tasked with assessing whether Rubiales had violated the “core code of conduct” and “conducting in a way that discredits the sport of football and/or FIFA”.

In her apology message, she said the kiss was “mutual and consensual” by Hermoso. He received various applause from the overwhelming male assembly.

Rubiales described the controversial kiss as “spontaneous, mutual, enthusiastic and consensual” but apologized “for the context it was in”.

Hermoso said in an image posted on social media last Sunday, “I don’t like kissing, but what can I do”.

turmoil in spain

FIFA’s move comes after Spanish Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said Rubiales’ attempt to apologize after initially insulting his critics was unconvincing and “must continue to take further steps” to hold him accountable.

The Supreme Sports Council, Spain’s sport-governing body, promised that Rubiales would quickly consider several official complaints made to him to see whether he had violated Spain’s sporting law or the federation’s own code of conduct, which sanctioned sexist acts.

Otherwise, Rubiales will face a decision by the Spanish Sport Administrative Court that he is not fit to stay in office.

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More inappropriate behavior

As if a forced kiss wasn’t enough, Rubiales had recently grabbed her crotch in an obscene gesture of victory from the dignitaries, which had been next to Queen Letizia of Spain and 16-year-old Princess Sofia.

The combination of this gesture and the unwanted kiss put Rubiales into a national embarrassment after his act was released to a global audience and cast a shadow over the tremendous success of the women playing for Spain.

“Spanish sport did not present a good image for its leaders,” Víctor Francos Díaz, Spain’s foreign minister for sport and chairman of the Spanish Supreme Sports Council, told The Associated Press in a phone interview from Madrid.

Rubiales is also UEFA vice-president and was the most senior elected representative of the European football association in the final in Australia.

The former football player has a key role in knocking out football officials next year as he tries to secure the right to host the men’s World Cup in 2030. But it seems unlikely that he will lead this campaign.

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Spain is spearheading a joint bid with Portugal, Morocco and currently Ukraine for the 48-team tournament, with it preferable to win next year’s decision.