President of the Spanish Federation is denounced for “sexist act”

Luis Rubiales, president of the Football Federation of Spain, was denounced to the Superior Council of Sports of Spain (CSD, in the Spanish acronym), due to the kiss he gave to striker Jennifer Hermoso during the celebration of the title of the Women’s World Cup.

The complaint, obtained from the website The Purposewas moved by Miguel Galán, president of the National School of Football Coaches.

Galán classified Rubiales’ attitude as an “intolerable sexist act in sport” and based it on Law 39/2022 on Sport, recent legislation in which it is determined that “any action that could be considered discrimination, abuse or sexual harassment and/or harassment for reasons of sex or authority must be brought to the knowledge of the sanctioning body of the Superior Sports Council, to be sanctioned as a serious infraction”.

The complaint also cites the internal protocol of the Spanish Football Federation against sexual violence. In Article 14, there is a specific item that deals with “forcible kissing” and considers such behavior as “unacceptable conduct that will result in immediate consequences”. Galán asks that the complaint be transferred to the Administrative Court of Sport.

The image of Rubiales kissing Hermoso went around the world and generated a lot of negative repercussions. In participation in the program “Las Mananas”, from Radio Nacional España, Miquel Iceta, Minister of Culture and Sport of Spain, classified Rubiales’ attitude as unacceptable and demanded an apology from the President of the Federation. Shortly after, the leader apologized. In a video posted on social media, he said he had to “learn from his mistake”. Before, however, he went so far as to say that the repercussions seemed “idiotic”.

Through social networks, moments after receiving the medal and the kiss from Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso said that she did not like what had happened between the two. Hours later, the sock tried to explain how she saw the episode in an interview with the news agency EFE and changed his opinion a little.

“It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup. The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior towards all of us was 10 and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude”, he stated.