FIFA provisionally suspended Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain¡¯s soccer association, following a week of controversy over his behavior at the Women¡¯s World Cup final, including kissing one of the team¡¯s star players on the lips.
The suspension from all football-related activities is effective immediately and will initially last for 90 days while the disciplinary committee of soccer¡¯s governing body conducts an investigation of Rubiales, according to a FIFA statement Saturday. FIFA announced the review Thursday amid outrage sparked by Rubiales celebrating Spain¡¯s victory by kissing Jennifer Hermoso on the lips and making an obscene gesture of grabbing his crotch after a Spanish goal.
The decision comes a day after Spain¡¯s champion women¡¯s team said it would refuse to play another game while Rubiales remained in the post. That threat came after Rubiales made a dramatic appearance Friday, saying five times that he wouldn¡¯t resign. The Spanish soccer association backed him and in a statement Friday threatened legal action to defend Rubiales¡¯s honor, implying that Hermoso had lied about what happened.
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