FIFA, the body that oversees international association football or soccer, moved Saturday to suspend Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales after he controversially kissed a member of Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s soccer team on the lips.
According to the Associated Press, Rubiales will be suspended for 90 days while FIFA’s disciplinary committee investigates the kissing incident and related conduct by Rubiales at the World Cup final in Australia last week. Spain bested England 1-0, earning the country its first-ever Women’s World Cup title, but much of the fanfare has been overshadowed by an awkward moment at the medal presentation ceremony in which Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso. Hermoso has since said that she did not enjoy the kiss and it was not consensual.
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Rubiales has also come under fire for his celebratory behavior at the match, including grabbing his crotch while standing near members of Spain’s royal family. He has refused to resign as head of the Royal Spanish Football Association despite mounting pressure from Spain’s government, Spanish soccer clubs, and women players, who say the top official’s conduct exemplifies the inappropriate, unchecked machismo deeply ingrained in the soccer world. Members of the World Cup team have said they will not play again until Rubiales has been removed.
The Spanish soccer federation said vice president Pedro Rocha will step in as acting president until FIFA’s review is finished. The organization also said Rubiales has “complete trust” in FIFA’s procedures and believes he will be vindicated by the disciplinary committee’s final ruling. The federation itself has drawn scrutiny for threatening legal action against Hermoso for refusing to go along with Rubiales’s version of events surrounding the medal ceremony kiss.
A FIFA disciplinary judge has ordered Rubiales not to contact Hermoso or her close associates. He ordered the Spanish soccer federation to do the same, saying it had improperly attempted to pressure Hermoso into backing Rubiales.
The Spanish government has also filed a lawsuit alleging Rubiales violated the country’s laws against sexism in sports. If found guilty in court, he could be ruled unfit to hold his office, even if FIFA does not ultimately end up ordering his dismissal.
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Rubiales is also a vice president of the UEFA Champions League, and his suspension will prevent him from interacting with that organization as well. It is likely that he will not be able to cast a vote when UEFA decides the location of future European Championship matches.
Rubiales, who played professional soccer for a number of Spanish teams in the 1990s and 2000s, is also leading a joint push by Spain, Portugal, and Morocco to host the 2030 World Cup. It is not clear how his suspension will affect those efforts.
