RFEF President Luis Rubiales Refuses To Resign And Insists Jennifer Hermoso Kiss Was "Consensual"

Luis Rubiales has refused to resign from his position as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).

Rubiales had faced widespread criticism following his behavior after Sunday's FIFA Women's World Cup final.

He was pictured grabbing his crotch while celebrating Spain's 1-0 win over England in Stadium Australia's VIP area, where he had been sat next to Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter.

Rubiales, who was part of the medal presentation party, later kissed Spain player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips.

RFEF president Luis Rubiales pictured hugging Jennifer Hermoso before he kissed her on the lips following the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup final

IMAGO/Sports Press Photo/Noe Llamas

Shortly after Sunday's game, Hermoso had said of the kiss in an Instagram Live broadcast that she "didn't like it."

A statement was then published by the Royal Spanish Football Federation that included quotes from Hermoso, which read: "It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings."

However, it is understood that those words did not come directly from Hermoso, who issued a new statement on Wednesday via FUTPRO.

Hermoso said: "My union, FUTPRO, in coordination with my agency, TMJ, are taking care of defending my interests and being the interlocutors on this matter."

It was widely expected that Rubiales would step down on Friday after an extraordinary general assembly was called.

But a defiant Rubiales instead told the assembly: "I will not resign, I will not resign. A social assassination is taking place."

He added: "I'm ready to be vilified to defend my ideals. I don't deserve this manhunt I have been suffering.

"I want to apologize without reservations for everything that happened in the box, when in a moment of euphoria I grabbed that part of my body that you have already seen.

"Of course I have to apologize, to the Queen, and to everyone who has felt offended. I have been in countless boxes and I have never behaved like that."

Rubiales said on Friday that he "will not resign" amid what he described as a "social assassination"

IMAGO/NurPhoto/Jose Breton

On the subject of the infamous kiss, Rubiales claimed that he had asked Hermoso for consent and that it had been granted.

Hermoso had failed to convert a penalty kick during the final and Rubiales said that he had been consoling her before he gave her a "little peck".

"Jenni was the one who lifted me up [to hug]," he explained. "I told her to 'forget about the penalty' and I said to her 'a little peck?' and she said 'OK'.

"It was a spontaneous kiss - mutual, euphoric and consensual. That's the key.

"A consensual peck is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end."