Spain women’s head coach, Jorge Vilda’s entire coaching staff has resigned in support of Jenni Hermoso over the kissing scandal involving under-fire FA president Luis Rubiales.
A statement signed by 11 coaching and technical staff expressed its ‘strongest and most emphatic condemnation of the conduct shown by the president of the Spanish Football Federation’.
FIFA have already suspended Rubiales for 90 days pending the conclusion of their own investigation on Saturday.
Earlier Spain’s Sport and Culture minister Miquel Iceta had explained his own delay in suspending Rubiales and admitted his permanent removal was in the hands of the Spanish courts.
Iceta said: ‘We would all like decisions to be taken as soon as possible, but there are procedures to be respected.
‘The government cannot take a decision on its own. It needs an authorisation, and that comes from CAS (Court for Arbitration in Sport).’
Iceta was asked by El Pais if there was a possibility Rubiales could return to his job after CAS’ ruling.
He said: ‘Well if CAS considers that no serious or very serious action has taken place, because the government cannot say who presides over a federation.
‘But at the end of last year, we passed a new sports law that reinforced the rights of women athletes. With the current legal framework, it is very difficult not to consider that there has been a very serious action that deserves a significant sanction.’
And asked if the end was coming for Rubiales as President, Iceta said: ‘As far as the government is concerned, yes, but there is a part of the procedure that does not fall within the government’s competence. There is a court that exercises its functions independently.’
Hermoso, the Spain player who Rubiales accused on Friday of initiating the kiss that he planted on her lips during the medals ceremony, has continued to receive support.
Atletico Madrid goalkeeper Lola Gallardo also reacted to the scandal, saying: ‘I haven’t seen Rubiales give Sergio Ramos or Dani Carvajal a kiss on the mouth when they have won important titles.
‘Maybe he was euphoric but about other things, not because we women are world champions.
‘He was euphoric because (he feels) he’s had a difficult year, we are the 15 little girl blackmailers and he’s got the big balls and he and Jorge Vilda had won.’
