Spain soccer chief Luis Rubiales to resign after World Cup kissing scandal

MADRID: Luis Rubiales, head of the Spanish Football Federation, has announced his resignation from his position following charges that he gave an unsolicited kiss to a player on the Women's World Cup team last month, according to Al Jazeera. Rubiales resigned in a statement issued on Sunday.

“After the rapid suspension carried out by FIFA, plus the rest of the proceedings opened against me, it is clear that I will not be able to return to my position,” Rubiales said in his statement, according to Al Jazeera.

“Insisting on waiting and clinging … is not going to contribute anything positive, neither to the Federation nor to Spanish football. Among other things, because there are de facto powers that will prevent my return,” he added.

Last Monday, a Spanish prosecutor filed a lawsuit with the High Court against Rubiales for sexual assault and coercion in connection with his kiss on Jenni Hermoso's lips.

Rubiales was also barred from participating in any football activity for three months by FIFA, pending an investigation into his behaviour following Spain's World Cup victory in Sydney on August 20, reported Al Jazeera.

Rubiales has stated that the kiss was voluntary, but the affair has provoked fury among players and many in Spanish society. He appeared to keep defending his version of events.

“I have faith in the truth and I am going to do everything in my power to make it prevail,” he said.

However, in a stament earlier, Hermoso emphasised that she did not give her consent for the kiss but the country's football federation announced their intentions to take legal action against the striker for her remarks against Rubiales.

Rubiales, 46, is a former player and the president of Spain's biggest players union, which he has led since 2018. Notably, amid the ongoing controversy, he also announced his resignation as vice president of the European Football Association (UEFA).