Spain’s acting prime minister on Tuesday said it was “unacceptable” that the Royal Spanish Football Federation president kissed a player on the lips without her consent, as pressure builds on Luis Rubiales to resign for tarnishing the team’s FIFA Women’s World Cup championship.
Spanish Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez praised the team during an audience at the presidential palace and later joined the growing criticism of Rubiales.
“What we saw is unacceptable,” Sanchez said. “And the apologies offered by Mr Rubiales are not sufficient. I would call them inappropriate, so he must continue taking further steps to clarify what we all saw.”
Photo: AFP
Late on Tuesday, the federation announced it would hold an emergency meeting of its general assembly tomorrow. It is unclear if Rubiales can maintain the backing of the leaders of Spain’s regional soccer organizations.
The federation said it was opening an internal probe “regarding the incidents during the awards ceremony Women’s World Cup.”
Gender equality and women’s rights have been cornerstones of Sanchez’s administration, but Spain’s Women’s World Cup success has been marred by the forced kiss Rubiales gave to player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony following Spain’s 1-0 victory on Sunday in the final against England in Sydney, Australia.
After claiming that those who criticized his kiss were “idiots and stupid people,” Rubiales was forced to apologize on Monday.
Rubiales accompanied the team and staff to the meeting with Sanchez, who greeted him with a handshake.
The forced kiss caused an immediate outcry both inside Spain and abroad.
Spanish Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz said that Rubiales “has harassed and assaulted” a woman and called for his resignation.
The country’s equality minister said it was an act of “sexual assault.”
Under a new sexual violence law, the unsolicited kiss, during which Rubiales grabbed Hermoso’s face before giving her a kiss on the mouth, could potentially be pursued as a crime.
Immediately after Spain’s victory, Rubiales had also grabbed his crotch in a victory gesture. That occurred with 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia and Queen Letizia of Spain standing nearby.
Spain’s players union, which Rubiales used to head, issued a statement on Tuesday calling for the Spanish Higher Council for Sports to act against Rubiales if he does not step down.
The union cited Spain’s sports law that sanctions acts that “damage the dignity” of someone or “creates an atmosphere of intimidation” based on unwanted conduct related to gender or race.
“The incident regarding Jenni Hermoso is especially grave since she finds herself in a situation of vulnerability before a person in a position of power,” the union said. “A once-in-a-lifetime celebration for the Spanish players has been overshadowed by the improper behavior of the federation president.”
Taiwanese gymnast Tang Chia-hung on Sunday topped the men’s horizontal bar event at the International Gymnastics Federation (FIG) World Cup in Osijek, Croatia, scoring 15.233 to take his third title this season. Tang delivered an outstanding performance in the final, earning a difficulty score of 6.500 and an execution score of 8.633 with a 0.1 stick bonus. His closest competitor was Milad Karimi of Kazakhstan, who finished second with 14.933 points. It was Tang’s third gold medal in the FIG World Cup series this year, following his horizontal bar wins in Azerbaijan on March 8, and in Turkey on March
The Daredevils yesterday took eight catches in the final as they eked out a victory in the Taiwan Cricket Triangular Tournament against PCCT at Yingfeng Cricket Ground in Taipei’s Songshan District. PCCT’s batting lineup collapsed after they asked the Daredevils to bowl in the T20 decider of the weekend tournament that also involved the Formosa Cricket Club. PCCT were bundled out for 76 in 16.2 overs against a disciplined Daredevils attack. Ninad Malwade was the top scorer in the innings with 21, but he was among those who offered chances to the fielders. Shane Ferreira and Jason Cameron took three wickets each, with
This year’s Taiwan Athletics Open, which offers Taiwanese athletes an opportunity to compete against their international peers, would be held under a new name after its organizers had earlier announced the event’s cancelation. In a statement issued yesterday, the Chinese Taipei Athletics Association said the competition would still take place on June 6-7 at Banciao Stadium, but under the name “New Taipei City Athletics Open 2026.” The event was given a new name to emphasize its local identity and conform with the international practice of naming World Athletics Tour events after cities, the association said. It said it would soon
Taiwanese shortstop Cheng Tsung-che on Friday made history for the Boston Red Sox’s Triple A affiliate, hitting the Worcester Red Sox’s first cycle, while netting two runs, as they beat fellow Taiwan teammate Stuart Fairchild’s Columbus Clippers. The 24-year-old former Pittsburgh Pirates prospect went 4-4, completing a full cycle, starting with a triple in the second inning off Ryan Webb in the WooSox’s 9-3 victory over the Cleveland Guardians’ Triple A affiliate. He scored in the same inning after teammate Vinny Capra, a fellow former Pirate, grounded out. The Pingtung County native followed that up with a walk in the third, an
RSS