As demands for the ouster of the troubled Spanish soccer boss grow, his mother goes on a hunger strike
As calls for his resignation increased and prosecutors launched a preliminary inquiry, the mother of the Spanish soccer federation president who is under criticism for kissing a Women's World Cup champion on the lips began a hunger strike on Monday in support of her son.
On Monday, the heads of the regional soccer associations that comprise the Spanish federation joined in calling for the resignation of Luis Rubiales as director of soccer. FIFA, the governing body of soccer in the globe, had previously temporarily suspended him for 90 days after he made a speech defiantly refusing to resign.
The controversy surrounding the kiss has overshadowed Spain's 1-0 triumph over England in the Women's World Cup final. Rubiales refused to believe Jenni Hermoso when she insisted the kiss was not voluntary. The members of Spain's national team announced last week that they would not take the field again unless Rubiales steps down.
In order to protest what she called the "inhumane hounding" of her son, Rubiales' mother, Angeles Béjar, informed the official news agency EFE that she would continue her hunger strike "night and day" at a church in southern Spain. Rubiales' cousin Vanessa Ruiz joined his mother in urging Hermoso to "tell the truth" while speaking in front of the church in the southern town of Motril.
Hermoso has refuted Rubiales' assertion that she gave her permission for the kiss that he described as a "mutual" one during the medal ceremony in Sydney, Australia, on August 20.
Hermoso said in a statement last week that she had been the victim of abuse of power and that the Spanish soccer federation had tried to coerce her into endorsing Rubiales. In response, the federation declared that she was lying and threatened to sue her.
Leaders of the regional organizations under the Spanish federation demanded Rubiales' resignation on Monday "after the latest developments and the unacceptable behavior that has caused great damage to the image of Spanish soccer."
Hermoso will have 15 days to file a formal complaint as an alleged victim of sexual aggression after the National Court's Prosecutors Office announced earlier in the day that it was launching a preliminary investigation into whether the kiss was a sexual aggression offense.
Spain is hopeful that Rubiales will be permanently dismissed by the nation's sports tribunal, which handles legal disputes in sports. The tribunal has not yet informed the government's sports body, according to Victor Francos, what it plans to do with Rubiales.