Spanish FA creep criticised for ‘grabbing crotch next to Queen and daughter, 16’
Spanish president Luis Rubiales was facing more criticism after footage emerged of him appearing to grab his testicles in an obscene gesture next to Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter Sofia.
The soccer chief sparked controversy by kissing World Cup winning player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during Sunday's trophy presentation in Sydney after Spain’s 1-0 win over England.
Left-wing Spanish politicians branded the 45-year-old’s kiss, which Hermoso admitted after the match she hadn’t liked, an act of “sexual violence.”
Irene Montero, the country’s acting Equality Minister, said in a stinging attack on Rubiales: “We shouldn’t assume that kissing someone without their consent is something ‘that happens’. It’s a form of sexual violence women suffer regularly and up until now invisibly that we cannot normalise.”
READ MORE: World Cup winner Olga Carmona speaks out after learning dad had died before England game
Iona Belarra, Spain’s Acting Minister of Social Rights, pinned her political colleague’s tweet and added: “What we all think. If they do this with the whole country watching, what won’t they do in private. Sexual violence against women has to stop.”
Rubiales attempted to laugh off the criticism by insisting it was a peck on the lips “between two friends celebrating something” and urging people to ignore “the idiots.”
But on Monday he was under the spotlight again after appearing to deliberately grab his testicles and thrust his private parts towards Spain’s female footballers during an energetic celebration after the final whistle had blown from the stands at Stadium Australia.
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Queen Letizia and her youngster daughter Sofia were stood right beside him when he made his obscene gesture after punching his fists repeatedly in the area.
Spanish politician Pablo Echenique, a member of hard-left wing party Podemos, raged: “As well as giving Jenni Hermoso a non-consensual kiss on the lips while he grabbed her head, an act that could represent the commission of a crime, Rubiales also celebrated Spain’s victory grabbing his testicles next to the queen and her daughter."
He also posted a photo of the Spanish FA president planting a sloppy kiss on the left cheek of goalscorer Olga Carmona, who learnt after the match her father had died, and wrote on his Twitter feed: “Here he is too with Olga Carmona. It seems this guy was drooling over and stalking the whole team.”
Rubiales appeared to be taking the comments in his stride and has yet to comment on the claims he grabbed his private parts in front of Spain’s leading female royals.
He was filmed in the dressing room after yesterday’s (SUN) World Cup final, announcing a trip to Ibiza for Spain’s winning women as a prize before joking in front of Jenni Hermoso and her teammates: “In Ibiza we’ll be celebrating Jenni and Luis Rubiales’ wedding.
Hermoso admitted she hadn’t liked the kiss in a live online stream to fans from the dressing room.
In subsequent comments facilitated by Spain’s FA, the Madrid-born footballer who currently plays for Mexican side Pachuca, referred to the moment as a “mutually and totally spontaneous gesture” and insisted: “The president and I have a great relationship.”
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