As a result of the “kiss affair”, Spain’s head of the association Luis Rubiales, 45, is expected to announce his resignation in Spain on Friday. According to consistent media reports, Rubiales has informed his closest associates that he will be resigning from his post with immediate effect. When asked by SZ, the Spanish association only said on Thursday evening: “No comment.”
The trigger for the crisis, which is bringing Rubiales to the brink of resignation, was a scene at the award ceremony for the Women’s World Cup in Sydney on Sunday. Rubiales kissed the lips of international Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s 1-0 win. In addition, video images circulated, showing how he had grabbed his genitals in the grandstand while cheering completely uninhibited – alongside Infanta Sofía and Queen Letizia.
After that, what was a Spanish state affair also became an affair that received worldwide attention. With the exception of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference, there must have been no political, social or sporting institution in Spain that had not turned its back on Rubiales. It was about the kiss itself, but above all about the processing of the scenes from Sunday: Hermoso is said to have been pressured by the association to exculpate Rubiales publicly. Various Rubiales affairs of the past – a mix of sex, favoritism and questionable deals – were also prominently negotiated.
Nevertheless, a resignation was ruled out until Thursday, true to the saying in Spain: “Here not even God resigns.” But then the support from the regional associations began to crumble, the government made it clear that they would remove him from office, and the world association Fifa launched an investigation. Three kisses of death seem to have been too much for Rubiales.