The mother of the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, has begun a hunger strike over the “inhumane stalking” of her son.
There was widespread criticism of Rubiales, 46, after he kissed striker Gini Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final.
His mother, Angeles Bejar, has now locked herself in a church in Motril.
She told the Spanish news agency EFE that the strike would continue “indefinitely, day and night”.
Hermoso, 33, said the kiss during the presentation ceremony in Sydney on August 20 It wasn’t by default.
Rubiales has vowed not to resign Friday but it was It was suspended by world football’s governing body FIFA on saturday.
Spanish media gathered outside Divina Pastora church in Motril on Spain’s south coast, the town where Rubiales grew up.
“The bloody and inhuman stalking that they are doing with my son is not worth it,” Bejar told EFE.
“We are suffering so much for him. He was judged before his time,” said Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz, who works as the family’s spokeswoman in Motril.
“They (the media) don’t stop harassing us. We had to leave our house. We want them to leave us alone and for Jenny to tell the truth. It’s not fair.”
The Spanish government has asked the Spanish Sports Court to stop Rubiales, a request that will be discussed at the TAD meeting on Monday.
The Spanish Football Federation also called on the regional federations to an “extraordinary and urgent” meeting on Monday “to assess the situation in which the federation finds itself”.
When the RFEF announced Rubiales’ suspension on Saturday, it ordered him, the RFEF, his officials and employees not to attempt to contact Hermoso, who was told by the RFEF not to contact Hermoso. threatened with legal action earlier that day.
How did the situation come to this point?
August 20 – During the party after the World Cup final, Luis Rubiales first hugged Spain striker Gini Hermoso and then kissed him on the lips.
Hermoso later responded to the kiss during the live broadcast and said she “didn’t enjoy it”.
August 21 – Rubiales issued an apology saying he was “sorry to those who felt offended” after being heavily criticized by other footballers, the media and even the Spanish prime minister, some of whom called for him to step down.
August 24 – FIFA is opening disciplinary proceedings to examine Rubiales’ actions.
August 25 – A defiant Rubiales insisted at an emergency meeting of the Spanish Football Federation that he would not resign, describing the kiss as “consensual”.
August 25 – The Spanish government says it has launched legal proceedings seeking to stop Rubiales, with Spain’s sports minister saying he “wants this to be a MeToo moment in Spanish football”.
August 25 – Later that day, Hermoso released a statement on Instagram denying Rubiales’ claims, saying, “At no time was his kiss at all consensual.”
August 25 – 81 Spanish players – including all 23 players who have competed in the Women’s World Cup – have announced that they will not play for the Spain women’s national team until Rubiales is sacked.
August 26 – The Spanish Football Federation said it would take legal action over “every lie that is published”.
August 26 – FIFA announced that Rubiales was provisionally suspended pending the results of the disciplinary proceedings.
August 26 – World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda blasted Rubiales while his entire coaching staff quit in protest at the federation’s president.
Aug 27 – The union delegate for the sexual violence protocol confirms the opening of an internal investigation into the events.
Aug 28 Rubiales’ mother is on hunger strike at a church in his hometown of Motril.
