The scandal involving Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales continues to deepen. More than a week after he planted a kiss on the lips of star forward Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s World Cup win over England, federal prosecutors have launched an investigation into whether the kiss constituted sexual assault.
Since Spain's victory, Rubiales has claimed that it was simply a “peck between two friends celebrating something,” before changing his tune and saying it was “probably a mistake.” Then, on Friday, Rubiales again defended his actions, and the RFEF, Spain’s soccer governing body, issued a statement supporting him and accusing Hermoso of distorting reality.
Rubiales has been suspended for 90 days by Fifa, pending a disciplinary committee probe. Nearly a dozen Spanish coaches have quit, and some of Spain’s players are refusing to play. Meanwhile, Rubiales’ mom, distraught by the allegations against her son, has locked herself in a church and launched a hunger strike amid growing demands that her son be fired.