MOSCOW, Aug 25 Winners of the 2023 FIFA World Cup The Spanish national team was refused to play for the national team until the resignation of the head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, according to the Association of Professional Footballers (FUTPRO) in X (former Twitter social network).
During the awards ceremony for the winners of the World Cup, which took place in Australia and New Zealand, Rubiales hugged and kissed on the lips the Spanish football player Jennifer Hermoso. Many journalists and fans called his actions excessive. The International Football Federation (FIFA) opened a disciplinary case against Rubiales. The head of the RFEF apologized for his behavior, but the federation convened an extraordinary assembly, during a speech at which Rubiales announced that he would not resign and was ready to defend himself in court.
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"After everything that happened at the award ceremony Women's World Cup 2023, we would like to state that all players who have signed a written agreement will not return to the Spanish national team if the current leadership of the federation remains in the same composition,» the statement said. In addition to the 23 women's World Cup winners, 58 other players signed the statement.
Madrid prosecutors on Friday opened a case against the head of the RFEF on suspicion of sexual assault. The case contains a statement from Hermoso herself, as well as from the president of the national school of football coaches, Miguel Angel Galan.
Rubiales is 45 years old. He has led RFEF since May 2018. Hermoso is Barcelona's all-time leading scorer. In 2022, the football player moved to the Mexican Pachuca.