Spain coach throws federation president Luis Rubiales under the bus after mass resignations
Influential figures including Spanish football great Andres Iniesta and Barcelona president Joan Laporta continued to mount criticism on federation president Luis Rubiales on Sunday ahead of a potential government sanction against the suspended Spain chief.
Rubiales, 46, was provisionally suspended by FIFA for 90 days on Saturday and the Spanish government are aiming to issue their own measures after he kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final on the 20th of August in Sydney.
Hermoso says the kiss was not consensual, despite Rubiales’ claims to the contrary, and 81 players went on strike from the women’s side in protest after the federation chief refused to resign.
Spain’s Minister for Sport Miquel Iceta said the government would ask the country’s sports court (TAD) to meet on Monday to decide if they would accept the government’s complaint against Rubiales.
“If the TAD accepts the government’s complaint, we will immediately suspend the president from his duties,” he told daily newspaper El Pais.
A new sanction could last longer than FIFA’s 90 days depending on how the court views the government’s charges against Rubiales of “very serious offences”, a possible “abuse of authority” and “acts that undermine sporting dignity or decorum”.
“The only sanctions provided for by the Sports Law are to impose a fine or ineligibility for a period of between two and fifteen years,” sports lawyer Toni Roca said in an interview on Spanish public television.
Iniesta said Rubiales’ behaviour was “damaging the image” of Spanish football and “tarnished” the team’s achievement of lifting the World Cup trophy for the first time.
“After what has happened this week I would like to convey my sadness as a
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