Rubiales has been suspended by FIFA from all football-related activity as a result of his behaviour at the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
He was caught on camera grabbing his crotch during Spain’s 1-0 win over England, before then hugging victorious players and kissing Barcelona striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the post-match medal ceremony.
Rubiales has refused to resign despite coming in for widespread criticism, with the RFEF chief – who is also a vice-president of UEFA – continuing to fight his corner.
His mother has gone on hunger strike in a bid to see his name cleared, but all 23 players in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad have vowed not to represent the national team again until he is removed from power and 11 members of Jorge Vilda’s coaching team have resigned.
Rubiales has been criticised by prominent figures from the world of sport and government, with his uncle now calling the 46-year-old’s character into question.
Juan Rubiales, who served as his nephew’s chief of staff at the RFEF between 2018 and 2020 but now endures a strained relationship with a close family member, has told El Confidencial: “Dignity is to defend Jenni, understand her, and reproach the embarrassing behaviour of this president.
“He is a proud, arrogant person and his great enemy is himself. He is suffering because of his pride and because of his arrogance. And now he does not have the slightest dignity to get out of this trance in an honourable way. He is a cowardly man. When he puts on the boss' hat, well, of course, he feels that he is the best.
“He is a man obsessed with power, obsessed with luxury, obsessed with money, even with women. I believe that this boy needs a program of social re-education and re-education in his relationship with women.”
UEFA has rejected calls from the RFEF for Spanish teams to be banned from European competition as a result of government interference in sporting matters, but a long-running saga appears set to drag on for some time yet.
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