Luis Rubiales kissed World Cup hero Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth.
Now the Spanish soccer player is being investigated for sexual abuse, the Spanish Attorney General announces.
At the same time, his mother is on hunger strike – locked in a church.
The Spanish women’s national team won gold at the World Cup in Australia – but much of the headlines have come to be about what happened afterwards.
During the award ceremony, the Spanish confederation president was seen kissing and patting several players on the bottom.
Midfielder Jennifer Hermoso was one of the players kissed on the mouth by Rubiales. She has subsequently stated that she did not appreciate the president’s behavior – while he claims that the kiss was consensual.
Investigation initiated
Now the Spanish public prosecutor announces that an investigation into sexual abuse has been launched against the football pamp. A preliminary investigation has been opened due to the fact that “the sexual act was not consensual”, the Public Prosecutor’s Office announces, according to AFP.
On Monday, the Spanish Football Association will hold an internal crisis meeting to “evaluate the situation”, local media write.
Rubiales has already been banned for three months by Fifa and his future as confederation president is said to be one of the issues that will be discussed.
At the same time, Madrid Xtra writes that the Spanish Football Association threatens to leave Uefa completely if Rubiales is dismissed – something that could lead to all Spanish teams leaving the European tournaments.
The mother: It was consent
On Monday, the EFE news agency reports that the Spanish Football Federation president’s mother Ángeles Béjar is on hunger strike – in protest against all the negative publicity about her son.
Locked in a church, she announces that she wants to see a solution that her son deserves, while asking Hermoso to “tell the truth”.
Rubiale’s mother claims that there was no sexual abuse, as according to her there was also consent at the kiss.