The Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, assured that if Luis Rubiales had resigned sooner as president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) “we would have saved all of us some problems” and that “there was a true social outcry and also in the structures of sport and Spanish football”.
“Everyone decides their times and their ways. Yesterday a decision was made that many people were waiting for, there was a real social clamor and also in the structures of sport and Spanish football itself. Surely if it had occurred earlier we would all have saved ourselves some problems , but things are as they are,” he said.
Before the presentation this Monday of the report of the annual Observatory of piracy of cultural industries, Iceta considered that “all this has set in motion an unstoppable wave of defense of women’s rights and demands for respect for female athletes.”
“We all say now it’s over, like María Jiménez, and indeed it’s over,” she said, before referring to the date on which the RFEF must now hold presidential elections, which in her opinion would be better with a new General Assembly.
“This has to be decided by the Federation itself. If it were done immediately it would be the same delegates who were in the last Assembly, while if it was done in the first months of next year it would be necessary to elect new representatives. It would probably be the most sensible option, but we will listen to what President Pedro Rocha has to say and we will accompany this process that must undoubtedly be marked by what Pedro Rocha said, a profound restructuring of the Federation,” he indicated.
Iceta ruled out that everything that happened due to the behavior of Luis Rubiales during the final of the Women’s World Cup in Sydney and the subsequent kiss to the player Jenni Hermoso on the podium, after Spain’s victory over England, is irreparable damage to the image of Spain. .
“There are fortunately very few irreparable damages in life, we are now repairing this. The resignation of Mr. Rubiales itself is a notable reparation for the damage caused. At an international level, the events that occurred in the celebration of the victory of our selection in the world championship, but Rubiales’ decision to resign is also having a very important impact,” he stressed.
The minister also announced that “for many days” they have been “working with international organizations so that the Spanish candidacy, along with Portugal and Morocco, is not harmed to celebrate the 2030 World Championship in our country.”
