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PROFILE: Who is Spain’s disgraced football chief Luis Rubiales?

Spain's football federation chief Luis Rubiales, under fire over his kiss on the lips of a Women's World Cup player, is a former attacking midfielder who went on to become a combative players' union head.

PROFILE: Who is Spain's disgraced football chief Luis Rubiales?
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez receiving a signed Spanish football jersey and an official 2018 World Cup ball from Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales (R) during a meeting at the Moncloa Palace in Madrid on September 12, 2018. (Photo by Fernando CALVO / LA MONCLOA / AFP)

The controversial 46-year-old is facing calls for his resignation after he cupped star player Jennifer Hermoso’s head and forcefully kissed her after Spain beat England 1-0 in the final on Sunday in Australia.

Born on Spain’s Canary Islands but raised in Motril on the country’s Mediterranean coast, Rubiales played for various lower division teams before finishing his football career in 2009 at Scotland’s Hamilton Academical.

“He was a modern defender, physically very strong. He liked to attack. He was always a model of dedication and loyalty with everyone,” former Levante coach Manolo Preciado once said of Rubiales, who played for the Valencia-based side between 2003 and 2008.

At Levante Rubiales led a player revolt against unpaid wages, possibly inheriting a taste for public life from his father who served as the Socialist mayor of Motril in the mid-1990s.

Luis Rubiales playing for Levante in 2007. (Photo by JOSE LUIS ROCA / AFP)
 

The team went on strike and the players eventually collected their wages, a success that likely encouraged him to fight for his colleagues at Spanish football players’ union AFE which he headed between 2010 and 2017.

Under his watch AFE called two national players’ strikes – in 2011 and 2015 – and oversaw the creation of a fund to cover unpaid salaries. He also persuaded La Liga to agree to pay AFE a percentage of its TV broadcast rights.

 ‘Win for sure’

His first clashes with La Liga president Javier Tebas began during this time, and they continued when Rubiales was elected president of the football federation in 2018.

Tebas once said he felt Rubiales was “not qualified” for the post.

Rubiales defeated Juan Luis Larrea, the federation’s former treasurer and interim chief, in the election to become president.

Larea had taken the post on a temporary basis after the federation’s longtime president, Angel María Villar, was suspended on suspicion of embezzlement and other offences.

“I’m going to win for sure,” Rubiales, a divorced father of three girls, told reporters before the vote.

Shortly after he was elected, Rubiales in a surprise move sacked Spain’s men’s national coach Julen Lopetegui just two days before the start of the 2018 World Cup.

Re-elected president of the federation in 2020, Rubiales angered Spanish football traditionalists by expanding Spain’s Super Cup contest between the league champions and Copa del Rey winners to a four-team format.

He also faced a huge backlash for signing a lucrative deal to play the competition in Saudi Arabia, which is frequently accused of human rights abuses.

Rubiales talks to Spanish Princesses Sofía and Leonor during a Euro match in 2022. The RFEF head was sat next to Sofía again at the Women’s World Cup final Spain won in Sydney, a victory he celebrated by clasping his privates. Photo: Justin Tallis/AFP
 

‘Falsehoods’

In 2022 Spanish media published leaked audio recordings from 2019 that suggested a company called Kosmos owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Piqué made millions of euros in commission over the deal to relocate the Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

Rubiales dismissed the allegations as “falsehoods” and said he was “extremely angry for having information illegally stolen from my mobile”.

At the same time Rubiales won praise for boosting the number of sponsors of the federation and its revenues, and improving the conditions of lower-tier teams, which won the support of regional football federations.

“He has achieved a sea-change. He put a 19th century institution in the 21st century,” the president of the football federation in the northeastern region of Aragón, Oscar Fle, told sports radio Marca last year.

Rubiales tripled the budget for women’s football to €406 million ($439 million) in 2022 but at the same time he sided with the national women’s team coach Jorge Vilda when 15 internationals staged a mutiny last year over the manager’s methods.

The bet paid off with the squad winning the Women’s World Cup but the way Rubiales celebrated has put his job on a razor’s edge.

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FOOTBALL

Spain romp past Croatia in opener as Yamal makes Euros history

Spain made a dream start to Euro 2024 as Alvaro Morata scored in a statement 3-0 victory over Croatia in Berlin on Saturday, with Lamine Yamal becoming the youngest player in the competition's history.

Spain romp past Croatia in opener as Yamal makes Euros history

The three-time European champions have often been accused of being toothless in attack during recent major tournaments, but produced an eye-catching display at the Olympiastadion to cut apart a disappointing Croatia.

Morata broke the deadlock in the 29th minute with his seventh Euros goal, moving joint-third on the all-time list alongside Alan Shearer and Antoine Griezmann.

Fabian Ruiz added a second shortly afterwards with a wonderful individual strike.

Yamal made his mark with the assist for Dani Carvajal to effectively kill the game as a contest on the stroke of half-time, while Croatia striker Bruno Petkovic missed a late penalty.

“Very happy with the win, for my (Euros) debut,” Yamal told La 1.

“We’ve got confidence, we’re a very efficient team and we’re showing it. We’re happy because all the work from the last few months has borne fruit.”

This repeat of last year’s Nations League final, won by Spain on penalties after a 0-0 draw, suggests La Roja are capable of contending for a record-breaking fourth European Championship title.

World Cup semi-finalists Croatia, though, have it all to do if they are to reach the knockout phase for a fifth consecutive major tournament, with games against Albania and holders Italy to come in a difficult Group B.

Luka Modric, so often their inspiration, was substituted midway through the second half by coach Zlatko Dalic.

Spain boss Luis de la Fuente named an exciting starting XI, including wingers Nico Williams and Yamal.

The Barcelona starlet, 16 years and 338 days old, beat the previous record for youngest player at a Euros held by Polish international Kacper Kozlowski, who played at Euro 2020 at 17 years and 246 days old.

“We are very proud to have Lamine Yamal, he’s got so much football left to show,” said Ruiz.

Croatia’s subdued start

Croatia enjoyed the vast majority of support from the stands, with their fans holding up one huge banner during their national anthem, reading “When we get going, heaven and earth will burn”.

But Croatia started slowly, as Spain dominated possession in trademark fashion.

Spain also showed their increasing versatility under De la Fuente with their first goal, as one excellent through ball from inside his own half by Ruiz sent Morata clean through and the captain made no mistake with a cool finish past a stranded Dominik Livakovic.

Ruiz put Spain in total control just three minutes later, jinking past two Croatia defenders inside the box before shooting through the legs of Josip Sutalo and into the bottom corner.

Croatia almost pulled one back immediately as the game started to echo the end-to-end nature of the two teams’ thrilling last-16 clash at Euro 2020, won 5-3 by Spain after extra time.

Spain goalkeeper Unai Simon got down quickly to keep out Marcelo Brozovic’s shot and Lovro Majer could only find the side-netting from the rebound.

Croatia continued to create chances, as Josko Gvardiol’s cross-cum-shot narrowly avoided both Ante Budimir in the centre and the far post.

But full-back Carvajal, who scored the opening goal in Real Madrid’s Champions League final triumph over Borussia Dortmund earlier this month, put the game to bed in first-half added time.

Yamal collected the ball after a corner was cleared and curled a delicious cross into the middle for Carvajal to stretch and stab home his first international goal on the volley.

Yamal was denied another record for youngest Euros scorer when Livakovic produced a fine save to turn away his low effort early in the second half.

Marc Cucurella, a controversial selection by De la Fuente at left-back, made a goal-saving block to prevent Josip Stanisic giving Croatia hope.

Substitute Petkovic thought he had pulled one back late on when he tapped in after his penalty was saved by Simon.

But the goal was ruled out by VAR for encroachment by Ivan Perisic as Spain added a clean sheet to an almost perfect outing.

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