RFEF President Luis Rubiales will attend an extraordinary general assembly on Friday, where he will receive the backing of the regional federations, amid speculation over his job.
Rubiales has faced widespread speculation over his job this week, with multiple politicians demanding his resignation. After he kissed Spain’s star striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips and without her consent, his ensuing apology and a fake statement on Hermoso’s behalf have only further soured sentiment towards him.
The High Committee for Sport (CSD) have pronounced that if the RFEF do not act, then they will do what they can to take action against him.
However the RFEF do not intend to do so. Diario AS say that Rubiales spent Tuesday gathering support from the regional federations, and that while they may not sign a unanimous letter of confidence in him, he still enjoys a majority support in the vast majority of the regions. It would take 30% of them to write an official letter of no confidence to force a vote, something they describe has having ‘no chance’ of happening.
Rubiales will offer stronger apologies and more thorough explanations, which he hopes will placate the government figures who have asked him to take further action. He also hopes to count on the support of FIFA and UEFA delegates in order to save his job.
He will then present to the assembly the progress that women’s football has made under his leadership, as a show of his commitment to the women’s game.
The CSD are currently awaiting a report from the RFEF to see whether they can elevate this to a legal basis, and potentially suspend Rubiales from duty.
It seems clear that Rubiales will only be removed by force rather than moral conscience. Having lived out various scandals before, he is no stranger to public scrutiny, although this has seen attention on a level surpassing anything else he has dealt with. However if Rubiales remains in his position, Spanish football’s reputation could take a further hit, following on from the disgraceful racial abuse endured by Vinicius Junior last season in La Liga.
Image via EPA-EFE/RODRIGO JIMENEZ
