Spanish football president Luis Rubiales suspended over Jenni Hermoso kiss

Luis Rubiales, the controversial president of the Spanish FA, has been suspended by Fifa after kissing Spain striker Jenni Hermoso on the mouth at the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney last weekend.

Rubiales has spent the last week refusing to resign from his post after the incident, which Hermoso has stressed was not consensual. Now, Fifa has hit him with suspension for his conduct, albeit with a provisional 90-day term.

A Fifa statement said the suspension was in part “in order to preserve… the fundamental rights of the national soccer team player Ms. Jennifer Hermoso”.

The news was greeted with muted positivity among the women’s football community and beyond, with some people saying this should be just the start for the Spanish football association, RFEF, which has stood by Rubiales this week.

Swiss footballer Ana Crnogorcevic, who plays for Barcelona, tweeted that it was a good “first step”, adding: “This should be just the beginning… there are many more people that have to leave!!!”

Football writer Mia Eriksson added: “To everyone that is interacting in my tweets now trying to convince me that Luis Rubiales and Jorge Vilda have done nothing wrong and that Vilda deserves credit for winning the World Cup: If you don’t see the problem - YOU ARE A BIG PART OF THE PROBLEM YOURSELF!”

Retired footballer Xavi Hernández, who won the men’s World Cup with Spain in 2010, said: “I want to give my unconditional support to Jennifer Hermoso and the players. I condemn the behaviour of the president of the Spanish Football Federation. And I regret that people aren't talking about the historic achievement of winning the World Cup.”

Ian Wright was one of the prominent figures to respond to the news by writing: “Good. But still silence from UEFA. No solidarity. No comment on the behaviour of their Vice President. Same UEFA who's President did not attend the Women's World Cup Final where both teams represented the region. These are the same people in charge of leading the future of women's football. They don't give a s***!”

And journalist Phil Harrison said: “The Spanish FA have made FIFA look like beacons of probity and I tell you what, that takes some fucking doing.”

PA

Before the suspension, Hermoso said on Friday she did not consent to a kiss on the mouth by Rubiales shortly after Spain won the Women’s World Cup.

Rubiales later denied this, and said the kiss was “mutual, euphoric and consensual”, and downright refused calls for his resignation.

RFEF then said it would take legal action over Hermoso's comments and questioned her version of events.

“The evidence is conclusive,” it said last week. “Mr President has not lied.”

RFEF did not immediately respond to a request for comment over Rubiales’ suspension.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.