The leader of Spain's soccer federation, Luis Rubiales, is under fire for his actions after the country's 1-0 win over England on Sunday, August 20, at the Women's World Cup.
The actions of the 45-year-old executive left a bad taste in the mouth, resulting in the Spanish government and world player's union condemning Rubiales' behavior on Monday, August 21.
The former professional football player tried to downplay the incident when he issued a statement on the controversial kiss. The incident happened during the medal and trophy ceremony on the field when Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips, the Associated Press reported.
However, Rubiales was already criticized before that controversial kiss on the lips.
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After Spain's win over England, he was seen grabbing his crotch in a victory gesture. This happened near 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia, who seemed uneasy with the gesture.
Rubiales would later issue an apology for his actions amid growing backlash following Spain's Women's World Cup win, ESPN reported.
His apology came after initially responding to critics who condemned his actions, calling them "idiots."
"I made a mistake, for sure," Rubiales stated. "I have to accept it. In a moment of such emotion, without any bad intention or bad faith, what happened, happened, in a very spontaneous way. [There was] no bad faith from either side."
The actions of Rubiales couldn't have come at a worse time, considering the sport had a long-standing issue concerning sexual misconduct by male soccer presidents and coaches against female players on national teams.
Further, it also compounded the team's ongoing issues, including a controversy in October when 15 players wrote to the Royal Spanish Football Federation, raising concerns about Spain coach Jorge Vilda's professionalism.
Rubiales still backed Vilda, who ended up selecting only three of the 15 players for Spain's World Cup squad.
It was an odd run for Vilda, who got his share of boos at the World Cup. Some Spain players initially celebrated by themselves with the coaching staff on the other side. Some players later acknowledged him and tossed him in the air, although it was clear not all players participated, CBS Sports reported.
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