The Spanish football federation on Saturday, August 26, accused Women's World Cup player Jenni Hermoso's of "lies" in her comments about her kiss with federation president Luis Rubiales.
It said the federation and Rubiales would "demonstrate each of the lies that have been spread, whether in the name of the player, if that is the case, or by the player herself" after Hermoso said she did not consent to being kissed on the lips following Spain's World Cup triumph. It would take "as many legal actions as necessary to defend the honour of the President of the RFEF".
Less than a week after winning the Women's World Cup, Spain's national team players announced Friday that they will not play any more games unless Rubiales steps down. The federation's president, who was also chastised for grabbing his crotch after Spain's 1-0 victory over England on Sunday, remained defiant despite immense pressure to resign. The kiss marred the title celebrations in Sydney, Australia, on Sunday, and criticism has steadily mounted.
Hermoso issued a statement Friday strongly rebuking Rubiales' characterization of the kiss as consensual, while the 46-year-old federation president cast himself as the victim at an emergency general assembly of the federation in Madrid. "I won't resign," he declared four times in quick succession, to applause from the overwhelmingly male audience.
Several Spanish news media outlets reported on Thursday that Rubiales would step down. Instead, he said on Friday that he is the victim of a witch hunt by "false feminists". While Rubiales held his ground, federation vice president Rafael del Amo, who had been in charge of women's football, announced that he was resigning, followed by at least two other federation members. Del Amo had urged Rubiales to also resign.
Among those applauding Rubiales were women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and men's national team coach Luis de la Fuente. Until Friday's assembly, he had received no public support in Spain, with political parties from both the left and the right speaking out against him. In his speech to the gathering, Rubiales said Hermoso "lifted me up" in a celebratory gesture and he asked her for "a little kiss?" and she "said yes". "The kiss was the same I could give one of my daughters," Rubiales said.