CNN –
A week after Spain won the first Women’s World Cup, the country’s football association is at war with the players who took home the trophy.
The scandal began just moments after La Roja’s historic 1-0 win over England when Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) boss Luis Rubiales kissed midfielder Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.
Rubiales, 46, said he made a mistake but the kiss was consensual. Hermoso, 33, said she didn’t give permission and felt hurt.
Eight days later, Spain’s world champions refuse to play. The country’s football association is threatening legal action. And Rubiales vows to “fight to the end.”
The RFEF has called on regional federations to hold an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting on Monday to deal with the current situation after Rubiales was provisionally suspended by FIFA, world football’s governing body, over the weekend.
Here’s what you need to know:
After claiming their victory on August 20, the Spanish team lined up to receive their medals and congratulations from important figures in politics and football.
Gianni Infantino, the President of FIFA, came first. Next to him were Queen Letizia of Spain and Princess Sofia. Rubiales stood to the left of the younger king. He was followed by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly, among others.
The award ceremony began and one after the other the winners were honored by the delegation. Infantino presented each player with their medals. The royals then hugged her. Rubiales greeted many of them with a huge hug and a kiss on the cheek, even lifting some in the air.
However, the start of the encounter between Rubiales and Hermoso was not televised live. After showing one of the Spanish players kissing the Women’s World Cup trophy, the broadcast shows Rubiales hugging Hermoso. Rubiales’ arms are around Hermoso’s shoulders, Hermoso’s arms are on top of Rubiales’ back. The couple briefly rock back and forth and Rubiales appears to be saying something in Hermoso’s ear.
Rubiales places his hands on the back of Hermoso’s head. He kisses her on the lips and then pats her shoulder twice before continuing the procession.
What Rubiales and Hermoso say
Hermoso said she never consented to the kiss.
“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulsive, sexist, inappropriate act without my consent,” she said on social media. “Put simply, I wasn’t respected.”
Rubiales admitted an error on Monday, a day after Spain’s win, but later defended his actions. In a defiant speech on Friday, he said the kiss was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consenting.”
He added that he will not resign and said he will “fight to the end”.
Rubiales has been heavily criticized for his actions and could lose his job.
FIFA has initiated disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales and provisionally suspended him from all football-related activities. Spanish players’ union FUTPRO called for Rubiales to be punished after the kiss, while global players’ union FIFPRO called for “immediate disciplinary action” following Rubiales’ Friday speech.
The president of Spain’s Higher Sports Council, the Spanish government agency that oversees sporting activities, said the council would try to suspend Rubiales as soon as possible and still give him due process.
In response to Rubiales’ decision to stay, RFEF vice-president Rafael del Amo and 11 members of Spain’s national women’s football program have resigned.
Players have also threatened to boycott competitions should Rubiales remain at his post.
Hermoso and her team-mates in Spain’s World Cup-winning squad said they would not play for the country again until Rubiales was removed from his position. Her coach Jorge Vilda – who has himself become embroiled in controversy after video surfaced of him inappropriately touching a female staff member during the World Cup final – called Rubiales’ behavior “inappropriate”.
On the men’s side, striker Borja Iglesia said on social media he will not play for the national team “until things change”. Men’s world champions Iker Casillas and Andres Iniesta condemned Rubiales, as did current men’s team coach Luis de la Fuente. Other teams showed solidarity.
Politicians also got involved.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Rubiales’ initial apology was “unacceptable” and “not enough,” while Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz called on Rubiales to step down.
However, the RFEF stands behind Rubiales. It accused Hermoso of lying about the incident and threatened legal action against her and others.
By supporting Rubiales, the Spanish Football Federation has opened a huge rift between him and his three main partners – FIFA, the Spanish government and the unions that represent Spanish footballers.
Whether Rubiales can withstand the pressure to resign remains to be seen.
But the incident sheds light on issues of sexism and machismo in Spain, both of which the players’ union has fought back.
“The union is committed to ensuring that acts like those we have seen never go unpunished, are sanctioned and appropriate action is taken to protect footballers from acts that we consider unacceptable,” the union said Wednesday.
“There is a need to continue the fight for equality, a fight that our players fought with determination and that has brought us to the position we are in today.”