The England Women’s football team have released a statement in support of their Spanish counterparts following the scandal surrounding Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales, the head of the Spanish football federation, has received widespread condemnation for kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent following Spain’s World Cup victory over England.
He was expected to step down at an extraordinary general assembly called by the RFEF on Friday but instead claimed he was the victim of ‘social murder’ and ‘false feminism’ in an astonishing rant.
The 46-year-old added it was a ‘spontaneous’ and ‘consensual’ kiss that took place during the trophy presentation last Sunday, but on Friday evening Hermoso reiterated: ‘I want to clarify, that at no time did I consent to the kiss.
‘I don’t tolerate that my word is questioned, much less that words are invented that I haven’t said.’
56 players including Hermoso and her World Cup-winning teammates subsequently signed the joint statement demanding Rubiales be sacked, insisting they will not play for their country again unless he is removed from his position at the top of Spanish football.
The statement has been widely supported with each of the Lionesses sharing a joint-statement of their own on social media.
More to follow…
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