- Rubiales grabbed and kissed Hermoso
- Apologised for his actions
- Spain PM comes down heavily on Rubiales
WHAT HAPPENED? The president of the Spanish football federation grabbed and kissed Hermoso on the lips on the podium during the trophy presentation ceremony of the 2023 World Cup final, after Jorge Vilda's troops beat England 1-0. After the incident, the official faced flak from all quarters, which forced him to apologise, despite remaining defiant in his initial reaction as he labelled his critics "losers" and "a**holes".
Rubiales' position is coming under increasing pressure, with Spanish prime minister Sanchez coming out to insist that "apologies are not enough" considering the magnitude of the incident.
WHAT THEY SAID: "What we saw was an unacceptable gesture, Rubiales' apologies are not enough, I even think they are not adequate. He has to continue taking steps to clarify what we all saw," Sanchez told a press conference on Tuesday.
THE BIGGER PICTURE: Yolanda Diaz, the second deputy prime minister of Spain, has also criticised Rubiales and has demanded his resignation as "a woman has been harassed and assaulted”. Meanwhile, Irene Montero, the minister for equality, perceives the incident as a “form of sexual violence”.
Hermoso admitted she “did not like that” but later spoke out in defence of Rubiales, dismissing his actions as a "totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings". She further stressed that the official's "behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude".
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Goal / Getty / The SunWHAT NEXT? Despite the apology, Rubiales stands on shaken ground and it remains to be seen if he remains in his role as RFEF president amid growing pressure from Spanish politicians.