The pressure on Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish national football federation, is great to leave.
Prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation on Monday into whether his kiss of striker Jennifer Hermoso during the medal ceremony after she and her teammates won Spain’s Women’s World Cup last week was an act of sexual assault.
At an emergency meeting held late Monday night, Spain’s regional football chiefs unanimously asked him to resign immediately. The president of the National Sports Council said during a televised press conference on Monday that Rubiales should have resigned last Friday. And on Monday night in Madrid, hundreds of people took to the streets, waving red cards and demanding Mr Rubiales’ resignation.
But Mr. Rubiales has remained defiant. Since Friday – when he said “I will not resign” five times – he and his family have been locked up in his hometown of Motril.
Mr. Rubiales, a former professional footballer, had hoped to play a match with friends at the city’s municipal stadium on Saturday night. Feminist groups threatened to protest outside the gates, and the city council ordered the demonstration canceled because they could not guarantee Rubiales’ safety.
However, there are also some signs that he is supported in the city.
Mr Rubiales’ mother has been on hunger strike since Monday at a church in Motril, protesting what she calls the “inhuman and bloody hunt” for her son. On Monday night, in response to a call from Mr. Rubiales’ cousins, people gathered outside the church to lend support, some carrying posters aimed at Ms. Hermoso that read, “Jenni, tell the truth.” According to a police estimate quoted in the Spanish media, the number of people present was about 200.
On Monday, Spanish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation to determine whether the non-consensual kiss Mr Rubiales pressed on Ms Hermoso was an act of sexual assault, a crime punishable by up to four years in prison. It was widely reported that Ms. Hermoso was given fifteen days to file a formal complaint, allowing prosecutors to proceed.
As a young man, Mr. Rubiales, 46, enjoyed a career as a footballer in the Spanish league. He became president of the Spanish Football Federation in 2010 and took over the presidency of the Royal Spanish Football Federation five years ago.
Tuesday morning there was no news from Mr. Rubiales. If he refuses to leave voluntarily, the federation he chairs can issue a vote of no confidence to remove him.
The Spanish government has tied its hands for the time being. According to press reports, it can only intervene if the Court of Arbitration for Sport considers the kiss a “very serious offence”. On Monday, the reports said, the court asked for more documentation before reaching a decision.
Acting Sports Minister Miquel Iceta was questioned at a press conference Tuesday morning about what steps the government is taking to oust Mr Rubiales. “We all want this matter resolved as soon as possible,” Mr Iceta said. “But we also need to ensure that this is done rigorously and with all the legal guarantees – including to avoid any appeals that could overturn any decision.”
