Luis Rubiales has refused to step down as the president of the Spanish football federation for his actions in the aftermath of Sunday's Women's World Cup final.
Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales has refused to resign – five days after he kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the nation’s World Cup celebrations.
Hermoso said she "did not enjoy it" in the aftermath of the incident and later called for the president’s actions to ‘not go unpunished ’. The moment occurred when Rubiales was congratulating the 33-year-old for her role in defeating England 1-0 in the World Cup final in Sydney.
Rubiales had been reported as stepping down on Friday, where he would be replaced Pedro Rocha is the new president of the Federation. However, he spectacularly claimed he would not be stepping down.
Rubiales said at a press conference on Friday: "There are many people who, although silenced, are continuing to support me a lot.
"This is the body that elected me and the body to which I must give explanations. I want to thank everyone for the messages of support that you have sent me, there have been many messages that I have received.
"I want to apologise for an event that occurred in the (VIP) box (at the final). I am going to explain it because I was looking at Jorge Vilda (the Spanish women's manager). We have been through a lot together, and they have wanted to do to you the same thing that they are doing to me now, they are trying to create a false version of events and turn it into reality.
"I was very emotional after we won the World Cup and you (Vilda) turned around and dedicated the win to me. There I made the gesture (of grabbing his testicles), I apologise to Her Majesty the Queen. I have never behaved like this in a box before. I do not justify myself, sorry."
"I want to give my explanation about the peck (small kiss), it was a peck. The desire that I could have giving that kiss was the same desire that I could have giving my daughter a kiss, here there was no dominance."
"It was spontaneous, mutual and consensual. It was consensual. I have a great relationship with all the players and we had very affectionate moments in this tournament. The moment Jenni appeared, she picked me up from the ground and when she left me we hugged and I told her forget about the penalty, you've been fantastic in this World Cup and she told me you're a star, I told her a little bit? and it happened.
"Here they are not trying to do justice, they are doing a social murder.
"For five years they have been after me with everything. Complaints, lawsuits and requests for me to step down. False feminism does not seek the truth, it seeks to portray itself that it is moving us forward. They do not care about people."