A new front is opening up for the former president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales following his behavior during the World Cup final between Spain and England. This Wednesday, the day that FIFA ratified the sanction of three years of disqualification, a report from the disciplinary committee includes the accusation by the president of the English federation, Debbie Hewitt, who accuses Rubiales of “inappropriate” conduct with his players. at the trophy ceremony of the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
The same day that Rubiales kissed the Spanish soccer player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth without consent; He would also have kissed and caressed two English soccer players, also without consent on the part of the affected parties. In the report, Hewitt, who was next to Rubiales at the medal ceremony, stated that the Spaniard’s tone of voice was “unpleasant and unnecessarily aggressive” with the FIFA workers, before accusing him of inappropriate conduct with the FIFA players. England.
According to Hewitt, Rubiales “caressed” Laura Coombs’ face and “apparently forcibly kissed” Lucy Bronze on the face. Regarding the moment in which the Spanish players went up to collect their medals, Hewitt noted that he “grabbed them very tightly”, some of them “caressed their backs”, “grabbed their arms” and “lifted them off the ground”. “This made me very uncomfortable and embarrassed,” Hewitt added.
Rubiales responded to Hewitt’s words by assuring that it is something “incredible” and accused her of “having prejudices” against him, in addition to ensuring that she is a hypocrite because she also hugged the players on her team. “Applying the same logic, her hugs could also be understood as non-consensual physical contact. The hypocrisy is evident,” Rubiales said during the hearing.
Regarding his attitude towards Coombs, he justified it by saying that he tried to console her because she had been injured during the final, she had needed stitches on her head and she was wearing a bandage in that area. FIFA decided to disqualify Rubiales for three years from carrying out any football activity, as a result of her behavior during the final of the last World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Beyond the accusation of the English federation, the report of the FIFA Disciplinary Commission emphasizes that “it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions.” At first, Rubiales was provisionally suspended for a period of 90 days, and on October 30 he received notification of the Disciplinary Commission’s decision to sanction him for three years.
When referring to the non-consensual kiss with Jennifer Hermoso after the World Cup final, FIFA points out that “the accused did not apologize to the player, neither publicly nor, at least, privately”; and that “he persisted in his denial (publicly and in the context of this proceeding), maintaining (against the player’s unequivocal statement) that the kiss was consensual.” He adds that Rubiales “publicly insulted all those who saw this incident differently,” said it was “a kiss between two friends celebrating something,” and called them “idiots and stupid.”
It also underlines that “the accused used his position as president of the RFEF in an aggressive and totally inappropriate manner to publish – on behalf of the RFEF – statements using quotes from the player that were not written or authorized by her, and issued an official statement (which was later deleted) threatening the player (among others) with legal action.”
Furthermore, the Commission points out that Rubiales used the general assembly of the RFEF “as a forum to defend himself and distort the reality of the kiss in his favor.” “The defendant and/or her entourage pressured and/or coerced (emotionally) the player on numerous occasions to make her speak and take a position in her favor.” Furthermore, she “has been the subject of criminal proceedings in Spain as a result of the kiss.”
Likewise, the Commission emphasizes that it “could not ignore the impact of the defendants’ actions on the player’s mental health and career, the latter having stressed that she still feels ‘truly humiliated by everything that has happened and for the media exposure and public scrutiny to which she and her family have been subjected.'”
The Commission then underlines that, “given that the incidents occurred in the context of the final match of the most prestigious women’s competition, the conduct described above by the defendant has unfortunately found significant international media coverage.” “In effect, instead of focusing on the international success of the World Cup or the first title of the Spanish team in said competition, the focus of attention was on the actions of the defendant,” he states.
All of this, he adds, motivated “a series of incidents that show behavior that is clearly incompatible with each and every one of the values ??that FIFA defends and that football should encompass. With this behavior, the defendant unfortunately ruined the World Cup experience for many. , starting with the player and her teammates who had just become world champions. “The Commission is therefore firmly convinced that the respondent, by his behaviour, brought the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute globally. As such, the sanctions imposed on him reflect all the (aggravating) circumstances before mentioned,” he says.
“In light of the above and after carefully considering all of the evidence at its disposal, the Commission determined that a ban on participation in any football-related activity was the most appropriate and proportionate measure with which to sanction the respondent in light of the infractions committed,” he explains.
The Commission also reveals that “it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions in view of the seriousness and seriousness of the incidents in question, as well as the profound negative impact that the actions had on the image of FIFA, women’s football and the women’s sport in general”. It also understands that, even with strong doubts, the Disciplinary Commission “was convinced that the imposition of said measure (three years) would have the necessary deterrent effect on the defendant taking into account his conduct, but also the category of the competition in the infractions had occurred and the important repercussions of the same”.
Thus, FIFA itself confirmed this Wednesday through a statement the disqualification imposed for a period of three years on Rubiales from carrying out any football activity, as a result of his behavior.
“He is prohibited from participating in any activity related to football for a period of three years for having behaved in a manner contrary to the principles enshrined in article 13 of the Disciplinary Code,” FIFA itself reported in a press release.
This new decision can be challenged before its Appeals Commission. “Any party wishing to appeal must announce their intention to do so in writing through the FIFA Legal Portal within three days of notification of the reasons for the decision,” the press release finally stated.
