2023-08-25 14:25:29
BarcelonaThe unexpected decision of Luis Rubiales not to resign as president of the RFEF despite the non-consensual kiss to Jennifer Hermoso and the cluster of sexist attitudes he had during the celebration of the World Cup title have caused a chain reaction in the world of football , who had been mostly silent until the extraordinary assembly was held, to show his support for the victim and ask for Rubiales’ resignation – except in some cases such as Barça and the Catalan Football Federation (FCF). And, shortly after 7 p.m., Hermoso herself issued a statement through FutPro, her union, to explain that “at no time” did she “consent to the kiss of Rubiales”, as he had stated during the speech of the assembly “And at no time did I try to lift it,” he added.
“I don’t tolerate my word being called into question, let alone inventing words that I didn’t say,” said Hermoso. On the other hand, in the same statement, all the players of the Spanish national team – the World Cup players, those who refused to go there, the uninvited and historical footballers of the past – have announced that they will not return “to a call for the selection if the current leaders continue”. In this regard, they have expressed “their firm and resounding condemnation of conduct that has attacked the dignity of women”. In addition, they call for “real changes, both sporting and structural, that help the absolute selection to continue growing in order to be able to transfer this great success to subsequent generations”.
In a second statement, this one in a personal capacity, Hermoso explained that “I felt vulnerable and the victim of an aggression, an impulsive, sexist act, out of place and without any kind of consent on my part”. In this writing, the striker summarizes: “Simply, I didn’t feel respected”. And she also explains that she has suffered pressure, both from her and her family, from the RFEF to give a testimony “that had little or nothing to do with my feelings”.
Alexia, the first to support Hermoso
Previously, all of Jennifer Hermoso’s national team teammates and many players in world football – especially from her previous club, Barça, of which she is still the top scorer in history – had supported her after Rubiales’ stunner of this morning. Alexia Putellas, footballer for Barça and the Spanish national team, was the first to tweet after the extraordinary assembly: “This is unacceptable. It’s over. With you, comrade.” And he quoted Jennifer Hermoso in the tweet. Alexia has been very close to her colleague, with whom she also shared a dressing room at Barça, since Rubiales kissed her without consent.
Then, members of the Spanish national team – both those who went to the World Cup and those who refused to go there – and many Barça footballers such as Aitana Bonmatí, Mapi León, Irene Paredes, Cata Coll, Mariona Caldentey, Patri Guijarro, Ona Batlle, Caroline Graham Hansen, Bruna Vilamala, Olga Carmona, Ana Crnogorcevic, Misa Rodríguez, Ivana Andrés – the current captain of the Spanish national team – and Lola Gallardo. On the other hand, the captain of the first men’s team, Sergi Roberto, quoted Alexia’s tweet and added a “we are with you!”
Barça considers that Rubiales already “apologized”
“After the Extraordinary Assembly of the RFEF held this Friday, it seems that the explanations given by the president of the Federation, Mr. Rubiales, have been sufficient for the members present in the Assembly who had the power to ratify- in office,” Barça said in a statement. And he added: “FC Barcelona, however, wants to make it very clear that it considers the action of the president of the RFEF during the celebration of the World Cup won by the Spanish women’s national team to be totally inappropriate and unfortunate. These are facts that we consider regrettable, which Mr. Rubiales himself considered a mistake and for which he apologized.”
Afterwards, the institutional vice-president of the Barcelona club, Maria Elena Fort, has published a thread on Twitter in which she calls for the immediate resignation of Rubiales. “I express my total rejection of the actions of all those members of the official and non-official states who allow and protect reprehensible actions and everything that happened this morning,” wrote Fort.
In any case, the president of the Generalitat de Catalunya, Pere Aragonès, seems not to have liked Barça’s statement. “We expect a much stronger position from the representatives of Catalan football. Sporting values must be defended on the field, in the stands and in the federative assemblies. Not like this,” he tweeted in a tweet that was probably also a criticism of the initial lukewarm positioning of the Catalan Football Federation -which is explained later in this text-.
Espanyol calls for the resignation of Rubiales
The white-and-blue club, on the other hand, has asked for the resignation of the president of the RFEF: “The images that were seen during the celebration of the FIFA World Championship won by the National Women’s Selection are unacceptable and inappropriate and, once the explanations about this have been heard, we are moved to demand the immediate impeachment or termination of the president by the bodies empowered to do so.” In addition, he has shown his support for Hermoso.
Real Madrid supports the initiative of the Superior Sports Council
The white club has expressed in a statement its support for the decision of the Superior Sports Council (CSD) to raise “this case to the TAD (Sports Administrative Court)”. This afternoon, the president of the CSD, Víctor Francos, explained in a press conference that “the government has started” today the procedures so that “Mr. Rubiales will have to give explanations before the TAD”.
Borja Iglesias leaves the national team temporarily
Borja Iglesias, a Galician footballer from Betis who has always been very committed to social causes, has published a thread on Twitter in which he said that “as a footballer and as a person” he does not feel “represented by what happened today in the Ciudad del Futbol de Las Rozas”. In addition, he has announced his decision to temporarily leave the Spanish national team: “I have made the decision not to return to the national team until things change and this type of act does not go unpunished.”
Javier Tebas: “The list of women and men aggravated by Rubiales must stop”
The president of the League, Javier Tebas, who has been mentioned by Rubiales during his speech to the assembly as one of those responsible for the pressures to resign that he is receiving, has also made a post on Twitter about the matter: “The list of women and men aggravated by Luis Rubiales these years is too great and this must stop”.
The Catalan Federation considers Rubiales’ explanations “credible”.
“The explanations are credible. But that doesn’t prevent us as a federation from not liking Rubiales’ actions at all. I think that today he did apologize as he should and, from here, I will convene my executive committee to make an exact assessment of what happened here today and decide what is the position of the Catalan Football Federation (FCF)”, explained Soteras at the exit of the assembly without allowing questions from the media of communication present, among which was the ARA. The executive committee will be held on Tuesday the 29th at 5 p.m. Later, during the afternoon, Soteras resigned from his position as vice-president of the RFEF.
Resignation of Rafael del Amo
The president of the National Women’s Football Committee, Rafael del Amo, has resigned following Rubiales’ appearance and his decision to remain in office. “I didn’t expect this speech. I didn’t applaud or stand up. I felt uncomfortable, I thought I was going to resign,” said Del Amo, who admitted that Rubiales’ offer of to renew and raise the salary of coach Jorge Vilda. On the other hand, the president of the Basque Football Federation, Javier Landeta, and the president of the Royal Cantabrian Football Federation, José Ángel Peláez, have submitted their resignations from the board of directors of the RFEF.
Luis Enrique considers the management of Rubiales “excellent”.
The former coach of Barça and the Spanish national team, Luis Enrique, did not criticize Rubiales in the press conference prior to this weekend’s game of his current team, Paris Saint-Germain. In fact, he considered “excellent the work of Rubiales during these years, taking the federation to very high levels of performance”. And, regarding the events that took place in the World Cup final, he said that “the president himself has recognized his mistakes” and that he will not give “any opinion” because he does not consider it necessary.
Luis Enrique on Rubiales: “It is not necessary for me to give my opinion. His work as president has been exceptional over the years”
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