Spain’s soccer boss Luis Rubiales faces mounting pressure to resign

Rubiales has faced criticism from around the globe over his behaviour at the Women's World Cup final, including kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent.

Leading officials within the Spanish Football Federation asked suspended president Luis Rubiales to resign on Monday after kissing a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final.

The heads of the regional bodies that make up the federation (RFEF) made the request in a collective statement.

“After the latest developments and the unacceptable behavior that has caused great damage to the image of Spanish soccer, the presidents request that Luis Rubiales resign immediately as president of the RFEF,” the statement said.

The heads also urged interim president Pedro Rocha to immediately withdraw the federation’s request to UEFA on Monday to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference over demands to remove Rubiales.

That move was widely seen as an attempt to silence some of Rubiales’ critics, including government ministers who have asked for his removal, as such a suspension would ban Spanish teams from competitions like the Champions League and could sway public opinion in favor of letting him keep his job.

Soccer’s governing bodies have long-standing rules barring national governments from interfering with the running of the domestic soccer federations. However, UEFA will not comply with the Spanish federation’s request for a sanction, a person familiar with the issue told The Associated Press on Monday. The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the decision-making process was confidential.

Rubiales has faced a torrent of criticism from around the globe over his behavior at the Women’s World Cup final, including kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the on-field trophy ceremony. He was suspended from office Saturday by soccer’s governing body FIFA, which is investigating his conduct.

His mother on Monday started a hunger strike in a church in southern Spain in defense of her son, demanding an end to “the bloody and inhumane hounding” of Rubiales.