Spanish football has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons since the countryтАЩs women’s team lifted the FIFA World Cup trophy earlier this month. The controversy ensued after Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF), kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation in Sydney.
The matter has now entered SpainтАЩs top criminal court, which might constitute RubialesтАЩ actions as a crime of “sexual assault,тАЭ according to news agency AFP. Just hours before the top court could launch the preliminary investigation, RubialesтАЩ mother Angeles Bejar reportedly shut herself inside a church and went on a hunger strike to protest the alleged persecution of her son.
Speaking to the Spanish news agency EFE, Bejar said that she would lock herself in a church in the southern Spanish town of Motril and would not eat anything until her son got justice. She believes Rubiales is getting тАЬinhuman and bloodyтАЭ treatment but тАЬhe is not capable of hurting anyone.тАЭ тАЬWhy are they all being so cruel to him?тАЭ Bejar asked.
Luis Rubiales has left no stone unturned to prove his innocence. After the incident in Sydney, he was immediately asked to resign from his position. The 46-year-old refused to do so. Rather, he labelled himself as a victim of a тАЬwitch-huntтАЭ by тАЬfalse feminists.тАЭ During a meeting some days back, Rubiales said тАЬI will not resign,тАЭ five times into the microphone.
On the same day, players of the Spanish womenтАЩs team decided not to take part in a single game until Rubiales was ousted from his role.
Several menтАЩs players also came forward in support of their women counterparts. The protest made the football governing body, FIFA, suspend Rubiales for three months until the investigation gets its final outcome. Vice-president of the Spanish Soccer Association Pedro Rocha has taken over the leadership role as an interim chief.
Jenni Hermoso thinks the World Cup final incident тАЬis just the straw that broke the camel’s back and one that everyone has been able to see.” Passing a blunt verdict, the 33-year-old said, тАЬAttitudes like this have been part of the national team’s daily life for years.тАЭ
This is not the first time that prominent personalities in Spanish football have garnered criticism. Fifteen players of the womenтАЩs team left the squad in September last year after raising questions about the culture of the Spanish team under coach Jorge Vilda.
