Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales quits after World Cup kiss

Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales kisses Jenni Hermoso.

Suspended Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales says he will resign following the World Cup kiss scandal.

In an interview given to broadcaster Piers Morgan, Rubiales says he will step down because he “cannot continue my work”.

Spanish player Jenni Hermoso last week accused Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing her on the lips without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final.

Rubiales, 46, kissed Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony after Spain beat England to win the title on August 20 in Sydney, Australia.

He told Morgan: “I spoke with my daughters and they know it is not a question about me. They say I have to focus on my dignity and my life.

“In this situation now, this is the thing that I have to do.”

Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales kisses Jenni Hermoso.

Rubiales has insisted the kiss with Hermoso was consensual. Hermoso has denied that in statements issued by her and her players’ union. She also said she and her family were pressured by the federation to show her support for Rubiales in the immediate aftermath of the scandal caused by the kiss that tarnished her team’s victory.

Hermoso paved the way for legal action to be taken against Rubiales by filing a sexual assault complaint against him.

The prosecutors’ office in Madrid has said that, according to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty. The new law eliminated the difference between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” sanctioning any unconsented sexual act.

Spain’s government, players’ unions, players and many citizens have come out in support of Hermoso.

Rubiales was suspended from his post by FIFA on August 27, a day after he refused to step down when he delivered a defiant speech to the general assembly of his federation in which he said he was victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”

Rubiales was banned from his post for 90 days while the body’s disciplinary judges considered his case.

Rubiales’ mother went on hunger strike as the public scrutiny of her son increased, and Spain’s World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda was removed from his post just days after he was publicly offered a new contract by Rubiales.