Spanish Court Ruling Prevents Government From Suspending Football President Rubiales Over Kiss

A Spanish court said it considered Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales’ kissing of a female player on the lips after Spain’s World Cup win a “serious” offense on Friday. 

The Details: The ruling prevents the Spanish government, which wants to suspend Rubiales, from doing so. In order to issue a suspension, the court would have had to rule the kiss a “very serious” offense. FIFA, the association that runs the World Cup, has already suspended Rubiales from his post for 90 days.

The Context: Rubiales claimed the kiss was consensual, but a few days after the incident, the player, Jenni Hermoso, said it was not consensual. A recently surfaced video showed Hermoso laughing at a meme involving the picture of the kiss, however, she has reiterated that it was not consensual. Rubiales refuses to stand down from his position and has said he recently suffered “an unprecedented political and media lynching.” Spain’s women’s team said it refuses to play until Rubiales is relieved of his duties.

Key Quote: Spain’s Minister of Culture and Sport said, “TAD [Spain’s Sports Administrative Tribunal] only considers the serious [offenses]. We believe that they are very serious. The Superior Sports Council itself could have directly suspended Mr. Rubiales if they were very serious. But as TAD have not qualified it as such, it is up to the court itself. We will file a request for them to take that position.”

How The Media Covered It: Sources across the spectrum covered the court’s decision similarly.