The Spain World Cup kiss furore has taken another unexpected twist as the mother of beleaguered president Luis Rubiales goes on hunger strike in a church.
Angeles Bejar has locked herself inside a church in protest over what she describes as an “inhuman witch-hunt” against her son. Her protest comes after the Spanish football federation (RFEF) called another “extraordinary and urgent” meeting, with president Rubiales still refusing to step down despite being suspended by Fifa.
The start of Bejar’s hunger strike came on the same day that the Spanish Prosecutor’s Office initiated proceedings against Rubiales for possible sexual assault on Jenni Hermoso, the player whom he kissed on the lips in celebration of their World Cup final victory over England two weeks ago.
On Monday night, Rubiales faced calls to resign from his own regional presidents, who decided after an “urgent” five hour meeting that his “unacceptable behaviours” have “seriously damaged the image of Spanish football”.
“We will urge the corresponding bodies to carry out a deep and imminent…restructuring in strategic positions of the federation to give way to a new stage of management in Spanish football,” the regional bodies of the RFEF wrote in a statement which underlined their admiration for the Spanish women’s team.
Hermoso has been given 15 days by the National Court Prosecutor’s Office to contact them as an alleged victim of sexual assault, which could result in criminal proceedings being brought against the president.
The federation is also embroiled in a legal row with its own players, who revolted on Friday after Rubiales shouted three times “I will not resign” despite international outrage over his unsolicited kiss on Hermoso. He had grabbed the player and pulled her to his lips during the final medal presentation at the end of Spain’s 1-0 victory, and he also clutched his crotch in celebration while stood alongside the Queen of Spain.
However, beleaguered Rubiales then claimed at an emergency meeting on Friday: “A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end.”
With the saga now continuing into its second week, his mother began her hunger strike on Monday morning accompanied by a sister, 48 hours after her son travelled to Motril for a holiday. Bejar, a retired hairdresser, is holed up at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort east of Malaga, where Rubiales grew up.
Bejar, whose husband is a former mayor of Motril, says she will continue her radical action until her son Luis receives “justice.”
She has also demanded that World Cup winner Hermoso tells the “truth” about the kiss that led to Rubiales’ provisional suspension by Fifa on Friday.
Two cousins of Rubiales, who are stationed outside the church, have also joined the protest. Rubiales’s cousin Vanessa Ruiz, who is acting as a family spokesperson at the church, said: “We are suffering a lot for him. He has been judged before his time.
“They [the media] don’t stop harassing us. We had to leave our house. We want them to leave us alone and for Jenni to tell the truth. It’s not fair.”
However, Rubiales and his mother have few supporters in their protest. The likes of England’s Lionesses and top men’s footballing figures such as Andres Iniesta have also criticised Rubiales.
All 11 of the Spanish women’s team coaching staff, bar manager Jorge Vilda, resigned on Saturday citing the behaviour of Rubiales. However, under the apparent orders of Rubiales, the Spanish federation said it would take “necessary legal action” against the 79 women players refusing to play while he remains in post. The Spanish football federation is at odds with the team, international sporting authorities and its own government, which was moving to suspend Rubiales via the courts prior to Fifa’s suspension.
The suspension, which is for an initial 90 days, is pending the proceedings opened against Rubiales that began on Thursday.
The federation has repeatedly claimed that Hermoso said the kiss was not inappropriate. A local media report by sports website Revelo said the federation had coerced her into making an initial statement backing up the claim. The federation has denied this when approached for comment.
Rubiales told an emergency meeting on Friday that criticism of him “is a social murder, they are trying to kill me”. “As a Spaniard, we have to reflect on where we are going,” he added. “False feminism does not seek justice, it does not seek the truth, it does not care about people.”
However, his comments were immediately slapped down by Hermoso, who said on Friday night that: “I want to clarify that at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me… I do not tolerate that my word is questioned, much less that words are invented that I have not said.”
