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FOOTBALL

Disgraced former Spanish football chief ‘forcefully kissed’ England star

Disgraced former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales behaved inappropriately towards England players after the Women's World Cup final, according to Football Association chairwoman Debbie Hewitt.

Disgraced former Spanish football chief 'forcefully kissed' England star
Luis Rubiales leaves the Audiencia Nacional court in September. Photo: Thomas COEX/AFP.

World governing body FIFA in October imposed a three-year ban from all football activities on Rubiales over his conduct at the match, which included kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.

European champions England lost the final in Sydney 1-0.

FIFA has now published its findings into the case, saying it had been tempted to impose a more severe sanction. The FIFA disciplinary committee said Rubiales had acted with “a sense of complete impunity” at the game on August 20.

“The committee could not stress enough that — regardless of the emotional state he was in during and after the match — (Rubiales’) behaviour was inexcusable and unacceptable, especially considering his high rank within the football ecosystem at the time,” it said.

Hewitt was asked to give evidence and the report includes a summary of her submission.

READ ALSO: Death of the Iberian macho: What the Rubiales kiss uproar says about Spain

According to the report, Hewitt said Rubiales “cupped and stroked” the face of England’s Laura Coombs and “seemingly forcefully kissed Lucy Bronze on her face” at the presentation ceremony.

Hewitt added she “felt deeply uncomfortable and embarrassed” at the way Rubiales greeted the Spanish players, which included tapping one on the bottom. According to the report, she also noted Rubiales kissing Hermoso “fully and forcibly on the mouth”.

In his response, Rubiales accused Hewitt of “blatantly” lying or “speaking from ignorance” in relation to the kiss. Rubiales, who resigned from his position in September after initially vowing not to stand down, indicated his intention to appeal against the ban on the day it was issued.

Five days after resigning as Spain’s football chief, Rubiales appeared before a judge investigating a complaint of sexual assault over the Hermoso incident.

Rubiales has repeatedly insisted the kiss was consensual.

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CORRUPTION

Spanish govt to ‘oversee’ scandal-hit football federation

The Spanish government decided Thursday to create a commission to 'oversee' the country's scandal-hit football federation (RFEF) and try to pull it out of crisis.

Spanish govt to 'oversee' scandal-hit football federation

“The Spanish government adopted this decision to redress the serious situation of the RFEF so that the organisation could enter a stage of renewal in a stable climate,” the National Sports Council (CSD), an agency dependent on the Ministry of Sports, announced.

Spain are set to host the 2030 World Cup along with Portugal and Morocco, but in recent months the RFEF has lurched from one embarrassment to another.

The CSD said it will create a “commission of supervision, standardisation and representation” led by “independent personalities” which will “oversee the RFEF during the coming months in response to the federation’s crisis and in defence of Spain’s general interests”.

According to the Spanish press, former Spain coach and 2010 World Cup winner Vicente del Bosque could be one of the members of this commission.

Former RFEF president Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace last September after his forcible kiss on the lips of Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso and is now being investigated in a separate corruption probe.

The only candidate to replace Rubiales, Pedro Rocha, is also being investigated, while a report from the country’s leading sports court said the RFEF had taken decisions “beyond its remit”.

One such decision was the renewal of Spain coach Luis de la Fuente’s contract in February.

It was the sport court’s report that led to Thursday’s CSD decision to oversee the federation.

Elections for the RFEF presidency are currently scheduled for May 6th.

The Secretary of State for Sport and CSD president, José Manuel Uribes, on Thursday urged the RFEF “to limit its functions to the mere ordinary administration of the entity, as required by law”.

‘Unacceptable situation’

The CSD will meet again next Tuesday to analyse the situation and make a ruling, if necessary, on the corruption case opened by the sports court against Rocha, who took over from Rubiales on an interim basis.

In a year when RFEF will be responsible for Spain’s teams at the European Championship and the Olympic Games, the Spanish government is aiming “to restore the reputation, the good name and the image of Spanish football and complete the electoral process with a renewed assembly for the 2024-2028 period,” said Uribes in the CSD statement.

“We have to look after what we have in the future, the immediate future, which is the planning of the World Cup,” Uribes said in an appearance at Spain’s Congress of Deputies.

He pledged that the government will do everything to sort out the “unacceptable situation” at the RFEF.

Uribes also said he was “in constant communication with FIFA” regarding the RFEF.

“The CSD is going to guarantee that Spanish football maintains its excellence at the sporting level and also stands out as exemplary at the institutional level,” Uribes insisted on Thursday.

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