By Rajika Chauhan
Staff Writer
After a year fraught with administrative tensions and player protests, the path to the FIFA (Fédération Internationale de Football Association) World Cup was certainly harried for the Spanish women’s team, affectionately dubbed ‘La Roja’ by its fans. The trophy itself has unfortunately not marked the end of an already contentious road, with Luis Rubiales, the Federation’s president, non-consensually kissing Jenni Hermoso, a Spanish soccer player. The incident has ignited a firestorm of debate within both the soccer world and the wider Spanish community, appearing to be an inflection point for long-simmering tensions over sexism in Spanish sports.
The issue at hand began during the post-final medal ceremony when players were lining up to receive congratulations and thanks from Spanish sporting officials. Rubiales appears on video to have grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips. Footage from the women’s locker room following the ceremony depicts Hermoso watching a video of the incident and telling her teammates: “But I didn’t like it,” as reported by AP News.
According to NPR, anger had already begun to mount against Rubiales over social media in the hours after the kiss. In addition to the assault, the dismissive approach taken by both Rubiales and the Royal Spanish Football Federation in the days following only incensed fans.
Days after the kiss, the Federation attempted to mitigate blowback by releasing a reconciliatory statement without Hermoso’s input. The statement purports that the kiss was "a totally spontaneous mutual gesture,” and that Rubiales and Hermoso maintain "a great relationship,” as per the Washington Post. Hermoso issued a rebuke of the message later in the week, claiming that the Federation had attempted to intimidate both her and her family into silence over her discomfort.
The attempt by the Federation and Rubiales to rewrite the narrative surrounding the assault quickly became a point of particular frustration for the Spanish public, triggering a torrent of remarks from the government, players and administrative officials. The incident has united two typically polarized fronts in Spanish politics, with leaders on both the left and right attacking the Federation for sullying what should have been a proud victory for the women's team.
Acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez declared Rubiales' apologies "insufficient and unsuitable" in a press conference, and Acting Second Vice President Yolanda Diaz has called for his resignation, as per NPR.
Rubiales has doubled down in the wake of further attacks, claiming in a spirited speech on Aug. 25 that he has been made the victim of a "witch-hunt,” insulting "feminist extremists" for the campaign against him and vowing to not back down. His televised speech featured many members of the Spanish soccer elite applauding in the audience, including women's coach Jorge Vilda, according to AP News.
Measures have been taken in recent days to force a disciplinary response, beginning with Hermoso and 22 members of Spain's national team refusing to play until Rubiales is made to step down. The Federation has allied itself with its president, threatening to sue Hermoso and her union, FUTPRO, for defamation and a false characterization of events. Spain's government is now looking to file its own suit under the claim that Rubiales violated sporting laws, and FIFA has since suspended the president for 90 days as it conducts an independent inquiry, as reported by NPR.
In a nation where women's sports are often trivialized and deprived of attention or funding, La Roja's victory should have been a watershed moment, a final proof of legitimacy for female athletics. The misdirection of attention from an essential victory to scandal is a further consequence of the attitude of entitlement and disrespect towards women and their bodies which pervades Spanish culture. While a road to punishment for Rubiales seems clear, the Spanish women have already suffered the damage of robbed glory, with the public hoping for increased accountability going forward.
