'Irreparable damage to football' - FIFA slams Luis Rubiales in damning report into disgraced former RFEF president's conduct after Women's World Cup final including kiss on Jenni Hermoso
FIFA has slammed former RFEF president Luis Rubiales for the harm his unsolicited kiss on Jenni Hermoso has done to football and Spain's women's team.
The world governing body suspended Rubiales for kissing the Spain captain in the aftermath of their 1-0 win over England in the World Cup final in Sydney and has now accused the former Spanish football federation (RFEF) chief of «considerably damaging football's integrity and reputation», as well as claiming he has caused «irreparable damage» to the sport.
In a report into Rubiales' conduct, which has been published by newspaper El Mundo, FIFA said Rubiales' unsolicited kiss and his obscene behaviour during the final, where he was seen grabbing his crotch, “clearly tarnished the success” of Spain, who won their first-ever Women's World Cup.
Rubiales initially refused to resign as president of the RFEF after the kiss in a remarkable press conference in which he denounced «false feminism», before finally stepping down.
His departure was one of many changes enacted by the RFEF, who also sacked World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda and replaced him with Montse Tome, the women's team's first-ever female coach. The federation also decided to make the team gender neutral, with both the men's and women's sides now being simply called the 'Spanish National Team'.
The FIFA report described Rubiales' alleged attempts to pressure Hermoso to testify in his favour as «intolerable» and said his suspension was fully justified.
“In view of how the General Assembly of the RFEF was developed and particularly the communications -from the union- Futpro and from the player, which contained serious accusations against Rubiales, the adoption of the suspension is justified," added the report.
«Threatening
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