By Frank Dalleres
Embattled Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales is facing renewed pressure to resign as the fallout from kissing Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso on the lips continues.
Rubiales’ apology on Monday has failed to dampen the furore over his public lunge at Hermoso as she collected her medal following Sunday’s 1-0 final win over England in Sydney.
Spain’s acting second deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz called for the 45-year-old to step down over what she called “harassment and assault” of the country’s record goalscorer.
And domestic media reported that the Spanish football federation (RFEF) had fabricated quotes attributed to Hermoso in which she purportedly played down the incident.
Rubiales repeatedly and unsuccessfully pressured Hermoso and her family to get her to appear in his video apology, according to a report in outlet Relevo.
The 33-year-old’s only verifiable comment on the incident came in dressing room footage streamed on social media after the final, in which she said she “did not enjoy” the embrace.
“Our most resounding condemnation for what we saw. Nothing more and nothing less, a woman has been harassed and assaulted,” said Diaz.
“His excuses are useless. What we ask is for the sports law to be applied and for the federation protocols to be activated. This person should resign.”
Rubiales has also been criticised after he was captured grabbing his crotch in celebration during the final, in which he sat alongside Spain’s Queen Letizia in the VIP section.
The former defender initially dismissed the backlash at his kiss on midfielder Hermoso, telling Spanish radio station that “there are idiots everywhere”.
In his apology he conceded that he had “certainly made a mistake” but insisted that he had acted “without any bad intentions”. “It seems like it has caused a commotion,” he added.
A statement released by the RFEF on Sunday quoted Hermoso as calling the kiss “spontaneous mutual gesture”, despite Rubiales grabbing and pulling her face towards him.
The latest reports in Spain now cast doubt on the veracity of those remarks. Hermoso has not yet spoken publicly about the incident.
The row cast a further shadow over a historic World Cup victory by a Spain team who have had a strained relationship with coach Jorge Vilda and the federation.
More than a dozen players resigned from the team last year in protest at their treatment by Vilda and the RFEF, which stood firmly behind the coach.
