Fifa provisionally suspends Spanish football president Rubiales

Thomson Reuters

Fifa's Disciplinary Committee said on Saturday it has provisionally suspended Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish soccer federation, amid uproar after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain's victory in the Women's World Cup.

"The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee... has decided today to provisionally suspend Mr Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level," Fifa said in a statement.

Jenni Hermoso has accused the Spanish Football Federation of a “manipulative, hostile and controlling culture” as the World Cup-winning squad refused to play while president Luis Rubiales remains in post.

A total of 81 players signed a letter stating they will not accept national team call-ups while Rubiales refuses to resign after kissing Hermoso – who has stressed she did not consent – following the country’s Women’s World Cup final win over England.

He claimed it was “spontaneous, mutual, euphoric and consensual” but Hermoso, who previously suggested comments playing down the incident attributed to her by the federation were false, has hit back with an attack on the organisation as a whole.