Luis Rubiales: Spanish FA calls ‘extraordinary and urgent’ meeting over World Cup kiss row
The Spanish football federation has called an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting after president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the Women’s World Cup final.
The 46-year-old has refused to step down from his role but has been suspended by FIFA following his actions in Sydney on Sunday.
He was widely expected to resign at a meeting on Friday but instead made a defiant speech, claiming he was the victim of a witch-hunt by “false feminists” and insisting the kiss with the 33-year-old attacking midfielder was consensual.
The Spanish federation’s interim president Pedro Rocha has called the meeting on Monday “to evaluate the situation in which the federation finds itself” and look at “the decisions or actions to be taken,” a spokesman said on Sunday.
An internal investigation is also under way after the federation’s sexual violence protocol was activated.
Maria Dolores Martinez Madrona, the protocol’s protection delegate who is conducting the investigation, said in a statement “we demand the utmost respect for the right to privacy and dignity of every person involved”.
Hermoso has said that “in no moment” did she consent to the kiss.
‘With you Jennifer Hermoso’
On Saturday, she appeared among spectators at the Women’s Cup final between Atletico Madrid and AC Milan – and was applauded by the crowd.
Read more:
Explained – who said what in the Spanish kissing row
Spanish FA boss accuses player he kissed of lying about it
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings over World Cup kiss
Players at the match held a banner reading: “With you Jennifer Hermoso”.
Spain’s World Cup winning squad has refused to play any further games until the “federation leadership is removed”, while eleven coaching and technical staff across Spanish football have resigned.
‘A real nonsense’
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Why Jorge Vilda’s statement is interesting
Coach Jorge Vilda described the crisis as “a real nonsense” that has “tarnished a well-deserved victory” for the players and the country.
Mr Vilda has been an ally of Mr Rubiales since he was backed by the Spanish football federation after 15 players pulled out of the squad late last year in a row over their emotional and physical wellbeing, has not stepped down despite the departure of his colleagues.
But he told Spanish sports site La Marca that Spain’s victory has been “harmed” by his “inappropriate behaviour”.
“The events that have taken place since Spain won the Women’s World Cup for the first time in its history and to this day have been a real nonsense and have generated an unprecedented situation, tarnishing a well-deserved victory for our players and our country,” he said.
President of Spain’s soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, left, stands next to Spain Head Coach Jorge Vilda after their World Cup victory. Pic:AP
Both he and the men’s national team manager Luis de La Fuente were seen applauding Mr Rubiales on Friday before condemning him in separate statements the following day.
Beatriz Álvarez, the president of Spain’s women’s league, which has filed one of several complaints against Mr Rubiales received by the government, said she believed it was the end of his football career.
“Luis Rubiales is finished. He has dug his own grave with his acts and his words,” she said.
“Whether it is because of the action of FIFA or the Spanish government, I am sure that Luis Rubiales won’t spend another minute as president of the Spanish federation.”
Xavi: ‘Totally unacceptable’
Men’s teams, including Cadiz and Sevilla, made public showings of support for Hermoso before playing games at their home stadiums, while Real Madrid, Barcelona and other clubs issued statements criticizing Rubiales and backing the government’s move to oust him.
Barcelona coach Xavi Hernández condemned Mr Rubiales’ behaviour during a pre-match media conference, calling it “totally unacceptable.”
Andres Iniesta, who won the World Cup and Euros with Spain’s men’s team, told of his “sadness” at the actions he said had “tarnished such a great milestone”.
“Instead, we have had to put up with a president who has clung on to his position, who has not admitted that his behaviour has been unacceptable and who is damaging the image of our country and our football around the world,” he told his 42.9 million Instagram followers.
Victor Francos Diaz, president of the Spanish government’s High Council of Sport (CSD), said it “respects the decision” of FIFA to suspend Mr Rubiales for 90 days, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings.
Mr Francos previously said that although Mr Rubiales can’t be sacked by the government, the sports council will use a legal procedure in a sports tribunal.
Spanish football’s ‘Me Too’ moment?
“We want this to be a ‘Me Too’ of Spanish soccer,” he added.
Acting budget minister Maria Jesus Montero said on Sunday Mr Rubiales should not return to leading Spanish football.
“A person who lies, who has made a show of not having understood what the fight for equality means in an area as important as sport, cannot have the direction of football in this country in his hands,” she said.
In the version of events Mr Rubiales gave in his speech on Friday, he said Hermoso had lifted him up in celebration and he asked her for “a little kiss?” and she said yes.
“The kiss was the same I could give one of my daughters,” he claimed, accusing her of “lying” about her lack of consent.
Before the kiss, Mr Rubiales grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture from the section of dignitaries at the stadium, with Spain’s Queen Letizia and the 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia standing nearby.
But the Spanish FA has so far stood by its president and threatened legal action to defend him.
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Protesters pull red card on Spain football boss.
Meanwhile people have been gathering outside the Spanish Soccer Federation in Madrid to protest, with some carrying banners and holding up red cards.
Gender issues have become a prominent topic in Spain in recent years with tens of thousands of women taking part in street marches protesting sexual abuse and violence.
Donald Trump has said he will speak to Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelenskyy separately on Monday in a bid to secure a ceasefire deal between Russia and Ukraine.
The US president made the announcement on Truth Social – shortly after the Ukrainian president condemned Russia for the “deliberate killing of civilians” after a drone hit a bus in north-eastern Ukraine.
Mr Trump said he will speak to Mr Putin over the phone. He will then talk with Mr Zelenskyy and “various members of NATO”, he wrote.
In an all-caps post, he said: “HOPEFULLY IT WILL BE A PRODUCTIVE DAY, A CEASEFIRE WILL TAKE PLACE, AND THIS VERY VIOLENT WAR, A WAR THAT SHOULD HAVE NEVER HAPPENED, WILL END. GOD BLESS US ALL!!!”
The Ukrainian town of Bilopillia today declared a period of mourning lasting until Monday after nine people were killed in a Russian drone attack – which occurred just hours after Kyiv and Moscow held peace talks.
Seven others were injured, Ukrainian authorities said. The bus was evacuating civilians from a frontline area when the drone hit, the country’s national police said.
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Nine killed in Russian strike on bus
A “father, mother and daughter” were among the dead, Mr Zelenskyy said, writing on Telegram: “All the deceased were civilians. And the Russians could not have failed to understand what kind of vehicle they were targeting.”
The attack has also been condemned by British Foreign Secretary David Lammy, who said he was “appalled”.
“If Putin is serious about peace, Russia must agree to a full and immediate ceasefire, as Ukraine has done,” he wrote on X.
Representatives for Kyiv and Moscow met for direct peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey, just hours before the drone attack.
While the discussions – which were not attended by the Mr Putin or Mr Zelenskyy – did not result in a truce, both countries agreed to exchange 1,000 prisoners in their biggest swap yet.
Ukraine’s intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said on national television the exchange could happen as early as next week.
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What happened at Ukraine talks?
Russia ‘threatened eternal war’ at peace talks
After a Ukrainian official yesterday said Russia made “unacceptable” demands during the discussions, a source from the Kyiv delegation has now told Sky News that Moscow threatened “eternal war”.
Separately, a senior Kyiv official said Russia’s proposed ceasefire terms included the full withdrawal of troops from four regions of Ukraine: Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Luhansk.
Moscow also called for international recognition that those regions and Crimea – annexed in 2014 – are Russian and for Ukraine to become a neutral state, with no allied troops stationed there, they said.
The Kremlin declined to comment on the matter.
Read more:
What happened last time Putin and Zelenskyy met?
Ukrainians tortured and killed in Russian jails
Analysis: the chilling moment in Russia-Ukraine talks
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Ukraine has rallied support from its allies following the talks, and a number have spoken out.
French President Emmanuel Macron said: “Today, what do we have? Nothing. And so I tell you, faced with President Putin’s cynicism, I am sure that President Trump, mindful of the credibility of the United States, will react.”
The EU is working on a new package of sanctions against Moscow, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said.
Israel and Hamas said ceasefire talks have resumed in Qatar – even as Israeli forces ramped up a bombing campaign and mobilised for a massive new ground assault.
Earlier, the Israeli military said it had been “conducting extensive strikes and mobilising troops” as part of preparations to expand operations in Gaza.
Israel’s defence minister Israel Katz said Hamas had “refused to discuss negotiations without a cessation of the war”, but after the airstrikes and the mobilisation of forces the militant group’s representatives “have agreed to sit in a room and seriously discuss the deal”.
“Israel emphasises that if the talks do not progress, the [military] operation will continue,” he added.
A Hamas source told Sky News that ceasefire talks began in Doha on Saturday morning.
Palestinians inspect the site of an Israeli strike on a house in Jabalia. Pic: Reuters
Tents were targeted in an airstrike on Saturday at al Aqsa Hospital in Deir al Balah in central Gaza. Pic: AP
Hamas official Taher al-Nono told Reuters news agency that the two sides were involved in discussions without “pre-conditions”.
He added Hamas was “keen to exert all the effort needed” to help mediators make the negotiations a success.
More than 150 people have been killed in Israeli strikes in the last 24 hours, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza.
This week has been one of the deadliest phases of bombardment since a truce collapsed in March and marked a significant escalation in Israel’s offensive.
The Israeli military’s preparations to expand operations in Gaza have included the build-up of tanks and troops along the border.
It is part of “Operation Gideon Chariot”, which Israel says is aimed at defeating Hamas and getting its hostages back.
Israeli tanks near the Israel-Gaza border on Saturday. Pic: Reuters
An Israeli tank being relocated to a position near the Gaza border on Friday. Pic: AP
An Israeli defence official said earlier this month that the operation would not be launched before Donald Trump concluded his visit to the Middle East.
The US president ended his trip on Friday, with no apparent progress towards a new peace deal.
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Forensic look at Israel’s escalation
Meanwhile, on Saturday, leaders at the annual summit of the Arab League in Baghdad said they were trying to reach a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
They also promised to contribute to the reconstruction of the territory once the war stops.
The meeting comes two months after Israel ended a ceasefire reached with the Hamas militant group.
A man carrying the body of a child killed in Israeli airstrikes on Friday in Jabalia, northern Gaza. Pic: Reuters
Parts of northern Gaza have been completely destroyed in the bombing campaign. Pic: Reuters
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on 5 May that Israel was planning an expanded, intensive offensive against Hamas as his security cabinet approved plans that could involve seizing Gaza and controlling aid.
This week, Israel said it had bombed the European Hospital because it was home to an underground Hamas base, but Sky News analysis has cast doubt on its evidence.
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Israel’s goal is the elimination of Hamas, which attacked southern Israel on 7 October 2023, killing around 1,200 people and seizing about 250 hostages.
Its military response has killed more than 53,000 people, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza, which does not differentiate between civilians and combatants.
World
The chilling moment in Russia-Ukraine peace talks – as Putin makes mockery of Trump’s efforts to end war
Vladimir Putin made a mockery this week of Donald Trump’s efforts to end the war in Ukraine.
Far from punishing him for it, the US president went out of his way to dodge calls to get tough with the Russian leader.
Follow latest updates on Ukraine war
On Sunday, President Trump called on leaders of both Russia and Ukraine to meet.
He posted: “President Putin of Russia wants to meet on Thursday, in Turkey, to negotiate a possible end to the BLOODBATH. Ukraine should agree to this, IMMEDIATELY.”
That post let the Russian leader off the hook. Only the day before, Putin had been ordered by Ukraine’s allies, including America, to agree to a 30-day unconditional ceasefire.
Pic: AP
The Russian president had swerved that demand, suggesting talks instead.
“If the ceasefire is not respected, the US and its partners will impose further sanctions,” Trump posted before swivelling and backing Putin’s proposals for talks instead.
Undeterred, Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy accepted the call.
Putin though refused to go, sending officials instead.
And yet there was no reprimand from the US president. Instead, he chose to undermine the talks he had himself called for.
“Look, nothing is going to happen until Putin and I get together,” he told reporters on Air Force One. So much for that then.
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What happened at Ukraine talks?
It is what happened in those talks though that should give the US president the greatest pause for thought about Putin’s intentions – as it does in Kyiv.
The message they brought was blunt and belligerent, threatening eternal war.
“We don’t want war, but we’re ready to fight for a year, two, three – however long it takes,” lead Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky is reported to have said. “We fought Sweden for 21 years. How long are you ready to fight?”
Russian negotiator Vladimir Medinsky. Pic: AP
Far from offering a compromise, they are reported to have demanded the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from the four regions they have partially seized by force and the capitulation of another two, just for good measure.
And there was a chilling moment when the Russians are reported to have threatened their interlocutors like gangsters.
“Maybe some of those sitting here at this table will lose more of their loved ones,” Mednisky said. Russia is prepared to fight forever.
For Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister, that was personal.
Max, his 23-year-old nephew, lost his life fighting the Russians in 2022 not long after their illegal and unprovoked invasion began.
Read more from Sky News:
Nine killed in attack on Ukrainian bus
First direct Russia-Ukraine talks since 2022
Analysis: Talks reveal a stark reality about war
Sergiy Kyslytsya, Ukraine’s deputy foreign minister. Pic: AP
At the end of this week, Putin appears scornful of Western efforts to end this war through a ceasefire and negotiations and Trump seems happy to let him get away with it.
Even Fox News, normally slavishly subservient to Trump, is wondering what gives.
Its anchor Bret Baier is no Jeremy Paxman, but in an interview last night asked Donald Trump 10 times if he might finally now put pressure on Putin.
The US president ducked and dived, talking about the money he had made in his Gulf tour, Zelenskyy’s shortcomings, Biden, and Iran instead. But he did not give a straight answer to the question.
With performances like that, Putin has nothing to worry about. Trump’s position though seems increasingly untenable.
Ukraine’s European allies though should be alarmed. They threatened Russia with sanctions and retaliation last weekend if he rejected a ceasefire. He now has.
With or without America, will they be good to their word?
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