Who is Luis Rubiales – the Spanish FA boss on the centre of the World Cup kissing row?

Instead of celebrating its Women’s World Cup triumph, Spanish soccer has been overshadowed by the actions of one in all its strongest males.

Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has been suspended by FIFA for 90 days after grabbing and kissing participant Jenni Hermoso after the ultimate in Sydney on 20 August.

She says that in “no moment” did she consent to the kiss.

He has remained defiant within the face of mounting criticism, saying he is the topic of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”.

In a unprecedented speech final week, the 46-year-old mentioned: “Do you really think I deserve this hunt? People demanding my resignation? Is this so serious for me to resign, having done the best management of Spanish football?”

He requested: “Do you think I need to resign?” – earlier than occurring to say 5 instances that he wouldn’t.

As his destiny hangs within the steadiness forward of an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting of the soccer federation later at present, Sky News appears at his rise to the highest of Spanish soccer – and the controversies alongside the best way.

Late begin to footballing profession

Luis Rubiales was born on the Spanish Canary Islands in 1977 and grew up within the southern province of Granada.

It wasn’t till the early 2000s and his late 20s that his soccer profession took off.

As a defender, he performed primarily in Spain’s second division league for golf equipment corresponding to Mallorca B, Lleida, Xerez and Levante.

During his time at Levante, they have been promoted to La Liga, with Mr Rubiales making 53 appearances for them between 2004 and 2008.

The first minor controversy of his profession additionally got here whereas he was there, main his fellow gamers out on strike over unpaid wages.

At the age of 32, in 2009, he signed a one-year deal to maneuver to Scotland and play for the Hamilton Accies – however left after simply two weeks and retired again to Spain.

Union chief

The following yr he turned the president of the Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) union.

While his time there was freed from scandal, because the World Cup kissing row emerged, the union’s then-marketing and industrial director, Tamara Ramos, has claimed she stop the AFE having been publicly humiliated by Rubiales on a number of events.

The Spanish federation has accused Ms Ramos of “taking advantage of the current media climate”.

Last yr Mr Rubiales insisted there’s a “campaign to discredit him”.

He claimed that he “cannot guarantee one day they will put a bag of cocaine in the boot of my car” – with out making clear who he was referring to.

Spanish FA boss

Mr Rubiales remained president of the union till November 2017 when he took his present job as head of the soccer federation. He had already been on the board of administrators there for six years.

The federation runs Spain’s males’s and girls’s nationwide soccer groups and its semi-professional and novice leagues. It additionally organises the referees for La Liga.

Just a few weeks into the job, he made a giant determination: firing Julen Lopetegui, the coach of the boys’s group, simply two days earlier than their first match on the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

Mr Lopetegui had signed to hitch Real Madrid after the match, and Mr Rubiales accused him of being disloyal to his nationwide group.

With a unexpectedly appointed substitute, Spain didn’t get past the ultimate 16.

The following yr, Mr Rubiales turned vp of UEFA.

Read extra:
Explainer: Who said what in the kiss row
Spanish FA boss accuses player he kissed of lying about it
FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings over World Cup kiss

That similar yr he was again within the headlines for increasing the Spanish Super Cup from two groups – the winners of La Liga and Copa del Rey – to 4 – together with the runners up as nicely.

He additionally moved the competitors to Saudi Arabia for $40m (£32m) a yr. While the transfer was profitable, it drew widespread criticism due to the nation’s poor report on human and girls’s rights.

A Spanish decide remains to be inspecting the contracts awarded for the cup, with accusations of a battle of curiosity with former Barcelona star Gerard Pique’s firm. Mr Rubiales strongly denies all of the allegations.

In 2021, an architect tasked with renovating his Valencia dwelling accused him of non-payment and assault.

Mr Rubiales was discovered not responsible of each expenses in opposition to Yasmina Eid Macchet.

World Cup scandal might have value him key ally

The present controversy over the World Cup kiss is not his first involvement with the Spanish ladies’s aspect.

When 15 gamers went on strike, citing their coach Jorge Vilda’s perspective to their “emotional and physical wellbeing”, Mr Rubiales was fast to again him.

Mr Vilda has stayed loyal to him till now, being quoted after Spain’s semi-final victory over Sweden as saying his assist “means so much and will always stay with me”.

Mr Rubiales mentioned in return on Friday: “Jorge Vilda, they wanted to do to you the same thing that they are doing to me now. We’ve been through a lot, but we’ve been together.”

When Mr Rubiales delivered his fiery speech to the RFEF’s basic meeting final week during which he repeatedly mentioned he wouldn’t resign, Mr Vilda applauded him.

Mr Vilda mentioned on the weekend that the controversy was “real nonsense” that had “tarnished a well-deserved victory” – but in addition criticised Mr Rubiales’ “inappropriate behaviour”.

He didn’t resign, whilst 11 members of Spain’s workers did.

Meanwhile, gamers, followers and girls throughout Spain and past have made which aspect they’re on abundantly clear.