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Spanish federation calls new emergency meeting amid kissing affair

Published August 27,2023
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The Spanish football federation RFEF has invited the regional federations to another emergency meeting on Monday over the women's World Cup kissing affair involving RFEF president Luis Rubiales.

Together, they will analyse the current situation, the RFEF said in the invitation published by Spanish media on Sunday.

According to reports, the meeting was called by interim president Pedro Rocha, who took charge after Rubiales was provisionally suspended by football governing body FIFA.

Spanish media added that the meeting is expected to deal with day-to-day business in the transition phase.

In a first emergency meeting on Friday, Rubiales refused to step down after he caused outrage by kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the victory ceremony after Spain had beaten England 1-0 for the title over a week ago in Sydney.

Rubiales aims to prove his innocence, while the RFEF threatened legal action against Hermoso, who has insisted that his kiss on her lips was not consensual.

FIFA on Saturday suspended Rubiales for an initial period of 90 days, "pending the disciplinary proceedings opened against Mr Luis Rubiales on Thursday."

A large majority of the women's team coaching staff walked out in a show of solidarity with Hermoso on Saturday, following a group of more than 80 players, including the entire women's World Cup squad, who said they would not play again under the current RFEF leadership.

The coaches' statement also said that "several female members of the staff were forced to stand in the front row" and try "to make the public and players understand that they shared the stance of the RFEF president."

Sapin coach Jorge Vilda was not among those who stepped down, almost a year after surviving a mutiny from 15 players who said they would not play again under him. The RFEF backed Vilda at the time and only three of the 15 made it into the World Cup squad.

However, he criticized Rubiales in a statement published in the Marca newspaper.

"The events that have taken place since Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time in its history…have been a real nonsense and have generated an unprecedented situation, tarnishing a deserved triumph of our players and our country," he said.

"There is no doubt that it is unacceptable and does not reflect at all the principles and values that I defend in my life, in sport in general and in football in particular."

Spain's governing sports body CSD is aiming to have Rubiales suspended by launching a complaint at the nation's administrative sports court TAD.

The CSD has asked the TAD to convene as early as Monday, and said that Rubiales could be suspended as soon as the TAD accepts the complaint and starts its probe.