Royal Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has said he has no intention of resigning as head of the organization following the sexist scandal during the awarding of Spain's women's national team at the 2023 World Cup.
Do you think this [incident] is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football? Let me tell you: I'm not going to resign. I've come under a lot of pressure. Is a consensual kiss enough to remove me? I'm going to fight until the end. I hope the law is followed, and that as there's no reason to [remove me], it won't happen.
Luis Rubiales, quoted by Marca
Recall, during the awards ceremony for the winners of the Women's World Cup 2023 Rubiales kissed midfielder of the Spanish national team and Mexican Pachuca Jenny Hermoso. The 33-year-old athlete confessed on social networks that she condemns the behavior of the national federation president.
Rubiales commented on the episode as "a moment of victory celebration by two friends". Later, photos of the RFEF president making an obscene gesture of touching his groin next to the Queen and her 16-year-old daughter appeared on the net. This triggered a new wave of criticism of the Spanish functionary.
On August 24, Cope reported that Rubiales will resign as head of the Spanish Football Federation because of the scandal.