. Less than a week after winning the biggest prize in the sport, Spain currently don't have a team. 81 female players have now gone on strike from the national side, reigniting the war. The RFEF President Luis Rubiales is at the centre of the controversy after he kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips and head when the team were presented with their medals after the win, in footage that quickly went viral on social media. The situation has since developed at a rapid rate. Hermoso initially said on a streamed Instagram Live post that she "didn't like" the kiss. Subsequently, she then released an official statement to the Spanish press, stating that, "It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup." But on Wednesday Spain's record goalscorer demanded - via the FUTPRO union - that Rubiales 'did not go unpunished' for the kiss. Rubiales still attracted widespread criticism for the incident with further imagery of the 46-year-old kissing Carmona after full-time later surfacing. FIFA announced they had placed him under investigation and that he would be subject to disciplinary hearings. At this point Rubiales' position looked untenable. He was widely expected to resign on Friday during a speech at an extraordinary general assembly of the RFEF. Instead came an act of extraordinary defiance. Rubiales hit out at "false feminism" and a "social assassinatio n" of his character, while v){kind=link}
Jorge Vilda has led his team to World Cup glory after victory over England in the final – but the behaviour of RFEF President Luis Rubiales has overshadowed the teams’ achievements
Spain are newly crowned World champions – but they are also in deep crisis.
Captain Olga Carmona struck in the final last Sunday as La Roja defeated England 1-0 to claim a memorable first major trophy. But the teams’ celebrations were marred by the latest incident in an ongoing civil war between the players and the Spanish FA – the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Less than a week after winning the biggest prize in the sport, Spain currently don’t have a team. 81 female players have now gone on strike from the national side, reigniting the war.
The RFEF President Luis Rubiales is at the centre of the controversy after he kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips and head when the team were presented with their medals after the win, in footage that quickly went viral on social media. The situation has since developed at a rapid rate.