24th August, 2023
FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales after the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the Women’s World Cup final last weekend.
The World football governing body confirmed this in a statement on Thursday.
It reads, “The FIFA disciplinary committee informed Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Association, today that it is opening disciplinary proceedings against him based on the events that occurred during the final,”.
FIFA said the incident “may constitute violations of Article 13 Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the FIFA disciplinary code”.
Earlier on Wednesday, Spain’s Hermoso and the union Futpro issued a joint statement calling for action against the RFEF president.
“We are working to ensure that acts such as those we have seen never go unpunished, that they are sanctioned, and that exemplary measures are adopted to protect women footballers from actions that we believe are unacceptable,” the statement said.
Liga F, Spain’s women’s football division, has also asked for Rubiales’ dismissal.
Rubiales, 46, originally attacked his detractors before apologising, but his actions remained controversial.
AFP