Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales was provisionally suspended on Saturday from all football-related activities for 90 days by FIFA after he kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso following the World Cup final last weekend.
Rubiales and the Spanish federation (RFEF) have also been ordered to refrain from contacting Hermoso by Colombian Jorge Ivan Palacio, the chairman of the disciplinary committee at FIFA, world football’s governing body.
RFEF responded with a statement which said its vice-president Pedro Rocha had taken over on an interim basis and that Rubiales would use all legal means to defend himself from all charges, with the aim of returning to the position.
Saturday also brought the resignation of 11 coaching and technical-staff members who had roles with Spain’s senior and age-group women’s teams — with their statement saying some female staff members had been “obliged” to show support for Rubiales during his astonishing, self-justifying speech at federation headquarters in Madrid on Friday.
That was followed by senior women’s team head coach Jorge Vilda issuing a statement in which he said he was “sorry” that Rubiales’ behaviour had tarnished the victory in Sydney but also defended his own role in both winning the Women’s World Cup…
