Spanish football federation now calls for resignation of its president Luis Rubiales | DW News

Spain’s football federation asked Luis Rubiales to resign as president on Monday night after he kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the Women’s World Cup. The regional presidents of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) held a second emergency meeting after Rubiales repeatedly refused to step down in recent days, sparking national and international outrage. What Spain’s football federation said about Rubiales “After recent events and the unacceptable behavior that has seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the football federation said in a statement. Hermoso previously said she “felt vulnerable and a victim of an assault, an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part.” The statement from the football federation officials also urged an overhaul in the organization’s management — something many Spanish players have demanded in the wake of the incident. “We will urge the relevant authorities to carry out a profound and imminent organizational restructuring in strategic positions of the federation in order to make way for a new stage in the management of Spanish football,” it read. Worldwide outrage over Rubiales kiss row Women football players worldwide have voiced solidarity with Hermoso over the past week. The Spanish national women’s team signed a joint letter with Hermoso saying they would no longer represent their country unless the current leadership of the football federation is removed.