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      How infamous World Cup kiss has become Spain’s MeToo moment sparking mass resignations – and even a hunger strike

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      IT should have been one of Spain’s proudest moments as the country lifted the Women’s World Cup after beating England in a thrilling final.But a “celebratory” kiss planted on striker Jenni Hermoso by her football association boss has seen anger replace joy and led to thousands of women taking to the streets in protest.
      A ‘celebratory’ kiss planted on Jenni Hermoso by her boss has seen anger replace joy in Spain after they won the World CupCredit: Getty
      A MeToo-style revolution has now been unleashed across the countryCredit: Reuters
      Social media has been flooded with the hashtag #SeAcabo, meaning ‘it’s over’Credit: Getty
      The #MeToo-style revolution that has been unleashed and is reverberating through Spain has also caused mass resignations and even a dramatic hunger strike.
      Gender issues have become a prominent topic in the country in recent years, with marches against sexual violence and reforms around equal pay and abortion rights.
      Now the outpouring of solidarity for forward Hermoso, 33 — who received the unwanted kiss on the lips from Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales — may yet prove more significant than the victory in the final itself.
      Reserve goalie Misa Rodriguez tweeted a cartoon of an old woman and a child with the caption: “Grandma, tell me about how your team won the World Cup.”
      READ MORE WOMEN’S WORLD CUP
      The grandmother answers: “We didn’t just win the World Cup, little one. We won so much more.”
      Social media has been flooded with posts bearing the hashtag #SeAcabo, meaning, “It’s over”.
      And in an extraordinary mutiny, Hermoso, her 23 World Cup team mates and 56 other women footballers have refused to play for Spain while Rubiales remains in post.
      Fifa have stepped in, removing Rubiales from all football-related activities for 90 days.
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      Bizarre and crude
      On Monday, Spanish prosecutors opened a criminal investigation into Rubiales’ behaviour.
      His own RFEF association has even called on him to step down.
      Demonstrators continue to march against RubialesCredit: AP
      And feminist associations continue to support JenniCredit: Getty
      However, Rubiales has remained bullishly unrepentant and insists the kiss was consensualCredit: Pixel8000
      But Rubiales, 46, has remained bullishly unrepentant, insisting the kiss was consensual.
      His mum, Angeles Bejar, has locked herself inside a church and gone on hunger strike in protest at her son’s treatment.
      She insisted: “I will remain here for as long as my body can.
      “I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”
      Rubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz says the family want Hermoso to “tell the truth” and acknowledge that the kiss was not forced.
      For her part, the player says she was “the victim of an aggression” and “at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me”.
      This dispiriting story began in what should have been a joyous occasion amid the heaving cauldron of Stadium Australia on August 20.
      Spain had dominated the first half against England, going 1-0 up.
      Then with 20 minutes to go, La Roja (The Red One), as the Spain team are nicknamed, were awarded a penalty.
      Veteran striker Hermoso stepped up to take it, only to see it saved by Lioness keeper Mary Earps in front of more than 75,000 fans.
      Spain clung on to win by their single goal. As the final whistle sounded, Rubiales leapt up to celebrate in bizarre and crude fashion.
      Standing next to Spain’s queen and her 16-year-old daughter, he gestured at the players on the field, then grabbed his crotch.
      Worse was to follow.
      Rubiales, also a vice-president of European football’s governing body Uefa, was positioned on the winners’ rostrum to greet his victorious team.
      As Hermoso approached, he hugged her around the neck and appeared to lift his body weight off the ground and swing both knees close to her hips.
      Then he dropped his feet to the ground, cupped his hands around her head and kissed her on the lips.
      Back in the dressing room, La Roja players replayed the incident on a phone.
      As some of the Spain stars giggled and screamed, Hermoso could be seen shouting: “But I didn’t like it!”
      When quizzed about his behaviour afterwards, Rubiales dismissed critics of his unwanted kiss as “idiots”.
      He added: “When two people have a minor show of affection, we can’t listen to idiocy. We are champions and that’s what I’ll take.”
      Yet many around the world were now talking about his boorish and sexist behaviour rather than La Roja’s brilliant victory.
      Miquel Iceta, Spain’s minister for culture and sport, said: “We’re in a moment of equality, of rights and respect for women.
      “I think it’s unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her.”
      As the Spanish team stopped off in Qatar en route home, Rubiales finally issued a mealy-mouthed apology, saying he was, “Sorry to those who were offended”.
      Later that same day, the RFEF released a statement on behalf of Hermoso in an attempt to draw a line under the furore.
      It quoted Hermoso as saying: “It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup.
      “The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been excellent and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”
      But players’ body FIFPRO, which represents 65,000 footballers worldwide, took a different view.
      It said in a statement: “Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context.
      “This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.”
      Back in Spain, the country’s Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez, said Rubiales’ apology was “insufficient and inadequate”.
      He added: “It shows that in our country there’s a long way to go in terms of equality and respect between men and women.”
      As pressure built, there were reports that Rubiales was set to resign.
      Then last Friday, the defiant chief not only refused to quit but also cast himself as the victim.
      He tried to make amends for his crotch grab, saying: “I have to apologise to the royal family. It wasn’t very edifying.”
      ‘False feminism’
      He suggested there was “no dominance” in the kiss planted on Hermoso and claimed he asked the player if she agreed to “a peck” and she had said yes.
      Rubiales insisted he was subject to a “social assassination”, adding that his critics were harnessing “false feminism, one of the scourges of this country”.
      Players at her club team of Pachuca in Mexico stood in support of JenniCredit: Getty
      Rubiales also celebrated with another of Spain’s winning players by lifting her upCredit: AFP via Getty
      Hermoso hit back, calling Rubiales’ claims “categorically false and part of the manipulative culture that he himself has generated”.
      She said: “At no time did I consent to the kiss. It fills us with sadness that such an unacceptable event is managing to tarnish the greatest sporting success of Spanish women’s football.”
      But RFEF hit back, accusing Hermoso of “lies’” and threatening legal action.
      Hermoso’s teammates rallied round, boycotting the national team.
      And 11 enraged technical staff from Spain’s women’s team quit.
      The Spanish government has begun legal proceedings to suspend Rubiales.
      But staggeringly, he remains in post with a key role in trying to win Spain’s joint bid to host the 2030 men’s World Cup.
      Born in the Canary Islands and raised in Motril, southern Spain, Rubiales was a journeyman defender for teams including Mallorca B and Hamilton in Scotland.
      He became RFEF chief in 2018, earning some £300,000. He also earns around £210,000 as a Uefa vice-president.
      But his tenure at the Spanish FA has been dogged by allegations of sleaze.
      In 2020, his uncle, Juan Rubiales, told Spanish anti-corruption prosecutors that his nephew ordered him to use FA funds to pay for a private party with eight or ten young women said to be sex workers.
      Juan, who Rubiales had sacked as his head of staff, claimed the women attended the “orgies” under the pretext of a work event.
      RFEF denied the claim, saying it was a “new exercise in falsehoods by a former federative employee motivated by spite”.
      Dad-of-three Rubiales, who is separated from his wife, is being investigated by Spanish authorities for using RFEF funds for a week-long break in New York with partner Roberta Lobeira, a Mexican painter.
      Rubiales insists he was meeting UN and Major League Soccer representatives.
      Meanwhile, Hermoso was met with rapturous applause when attending the Women’s Cup final between Atletico Madrid and AC Milan on Saturday.
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      The players unfurled a giant banner reading, “We’re with you, Jenni Hermoso”, as did players at her club team of Pachuca in Mexico.
      And millions watching this sorry saga unfold will surely agree.
      Millions watching the sorry saga unfold stand in support of JenniCredit: Getty More

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      New footage emerges which DISPROVES Spanish FA’s bonkers claim about Rubiales kiss storm

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      NEW footage has emerged which disproves the Spanish FA’s bonkers claim about Luis Rubiales’ kiss storm.That’s after they claimed Jenni Hermoso instigated contact by LIFTING the president off his feet beforehand.
      New footage has emerged disproving the Spanish FA’s claim about Luis Rubiales’ kiss stormCredit: Not known, clear with picture desk
      Spain’s FA claims Jenni Hermoso instigated the close contact by lifting Rubiales in the airCredit: Spanish FA
      Disgraced chief Rubiales caused outrage when his country won the Women’s World Cup earlier this month after kissing Hermoso without her consent.
      Rubiales’ actions have caused a shockwave across the football world, with numerous figures calling for him to stand down and Spanish prosecutors opening a criminal investigation.
      He’s already been handed a 90-day suspension by Fifa, which could eventually lead to clubs like Barcelona and Real Madrid being banned from the Champions League.
      Meanwhile, Spain’s players are refusing to be called up for next month’s internationals after all the coaching staff – bar manager Jorge Vilda – quit their posts.
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      Yet the Spanish FA claimed earlier this week that the action was consensual – and said that Hermoso had instigated contact by lifting Rubiales off the ground.
      A series of images were also published, despite none of them actually showing the moment Rubiales kissed her.
      The bizarre statement, which claimed the president only held Hermoso “so as not to fall”, read: “It is evident that the arching of the player’s body corresponds to the lifting force of Mr President.
      “The feet of Mr President are ostensibly raised off the ground as a result of the player’s action.
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      The new footage shows Rubiales jumped into Hermoso’s arms before lifting his own weight off the groundCredit: Twitter @11AP_JH10
      “The evidence is conclusive. Mr President has not lied. The RFEF and Mr President will demonstrate each of the lies that are spread either by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player herself.”
      However, fresh footage has emerged disproving those claims.
      Taken from the crowd, it shows that Rubiales lifted his own weight off the ground after jumping into Hermoso’s arms, and was not picked up in any way.
      He then kisses the World Cup winner before the celebrations continue.
      But Rubiales’ mother continues to fight his corner, locking herself in a church and going on hunger strike over the “inhumane witch-hunt” against her son.
      Angeles Bejar said:  “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.
      “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties.
      “My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.” More

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      Stylish Ella Toone looks loved-up with non-league footballer boyfriend on well-earned break after Women’s World Cup

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      ELLA TOONE has been pictured looking loved-up with her non-league footballer boyfriend Joe Bunney.The couple were seen enjoying a well-earned break in Manchester after Toone’s Women’s World Cup exploits with England.
      Ella Toone looked loved-up with boyfriend Joe BunneyCredit: Splash
      Toone sported a stylish look in ManchesterCredit: Splash
      Toone scored once as she helped the Lionesses reach the final for the first time.
      After returning from Australia last week following the loss to Spain, Toone was snapped with Bunney in Manchester on Tuesday.
      The pair packed on the PDA after the forward made an appearance on BBC Breakfast.
      She was also interviewed by Sky Sports News earlier in the day.
      READ MORE LIONESSES NEWS
      Toone wore a beige blazer and trousers as she smiled and laughed with Bunney.
      The Stalybridge Celtic defender was pictured hugging her from behind before Toone stopped to pose for photos with fans.
      Earlier in the day, Toone had called for Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales to resign during an interview with the BBC.
      Rubiales is under pressure to quit after he kissed Spain captain Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup final.
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      Toone and Bunney packed on the PDA in a series of snapsCredit: Splash
      The Lionesses star had appeared on BBC BreakfastCredit: Splash
      “Spain were unbelievable throughout the tournament,” explained Toone.
      “They won the World Cup, which should be the main talking point.
      “It’s overshadowed by something that happened after the game, which isn’t acceptable and the Lionesses all stand behind Jenni Hermoso.”
      It is unknown how long Toone and Bunney have been together since meeting through mutual pals.
      29-year-old Bunney is a devoted Manchester City fan, despite Toone playing for their fierce rivals Manchester United.
      Toone and Bunney met through mutual palsCredit: Splash
      Bunney plays non-league football for Stalybridge CelticCredit: Splash
      The pair have a private relationship but have been known to share loved-up snaps on social media.
      Bunney jetted out to Ibiza with Toone last summer as they celebrated England’s Euros triumph on the party island.
      Toone also regularly attends his matches when she is not in action herself.
      Although she has revealed she is often mobbed for autographs and photos by fans when she is in the crowd. More

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      BBC ‘production error’ baffles fans as Premier League legend accidentally shown during Rubiales kiss storm coverage

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      A BBC News “production error” saw the channel use footage of Manchester City legend Pablo Zabaleta rather than Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales when covering his controversial World Cup kiss.Rubiales has been suspended by all football activity by FIFA after he kissed Spain striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
      Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s World Cup win this monthCredit: BBC
      After showing footage of the incident, the BBC mistakenly showed footage of Manchester City legend Pablo ZabaletaCredit: BBC
      The FA President refused to resign from his role last week and insists that his kiss with Hermoso was “consensual”.
      Hermoso denies this and said in an Instagram post last week that she had felt: “vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part”.
      When discussing the incident yesterday, BBC News reporter Lewis Vaughan Jones spoke of how the Spain Football Federation (RFEF) had called an urgent meeting to discuss the future of Rubiales.
      With Vaughn Jones talking through the situation, footage of the kiss between Rubiales and Hermoso was shown before cutting to footage of Zabaleta at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
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      Fans on social media were baffled by the mistake with one writing: “Oh no! Zaba is such a wholesome person.”
      Another commented: “Lol they might as well have put [actor] Mark Strong in the clip.”
      A third wrote: “Poor Zabaleta lmao.”
      A BBC spokesperson said: “A production error meant we showed the wrong image in an earlier broadcast. This has now been rectified.”
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      Pablo Zabaleta spent nine years at Manchester CityCredit: Getty Images – Getty
      The TV error comes amid the latest twist in the Rubiales saga – which has seen his mother, Angeles Bejar, lock herself in a church and begin a hunger strike until her son’s name is cleared.
      The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort of Motril east of Malaga where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
      She says she will continue her strike until father-of-three son Luis receives “justice” and Hermoso “tells the truth”.
      She told Spanish press: “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.”
      Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties.
      “My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.”
      Spanish prosecutors have now opened an investigation into whether Rubiales sexually assaulted Hermoso.
      A statement from Spain’s highest court said: “Prosecutors from the National Court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault.”
      Read More on The Sun
      Rubiales’ mother has locked herself in an Andalucian church and is on hunger strikeCredit: EPA
      They will also contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a suit within 15 days.
      The team’s playing squad is now in open revolt against the RFEF, with Hermoso one of 81 players now refusing to play for Spain’s national team until “the federation leadership is removed”. More

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      Inside the sordid rise of Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales from ‘sex party orgy with ten women’ to ‘bag of cocaine’ claim

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      SCANDAL has long surrounded the embattled head of the Spanish Football Association before his now infamous kiss with Jenni Hermosa.Chief Luis Rubiales has been accused of group “orgies” allegedly paid for with business funds, inappropriate comments to employees and more.
      Luis Rubiales has had a long history of controversy in his relatively short careerCredit: Getty
      The unwanted kiss has sparked outrage around the worldCredit: Rex
      He’s been at the centre of scandals for yearsCredit: Getty
      And he once suggested his enemies would seek to plant a “bag of cocaine” on him in a bid to discredit him.
      Playing as a defender for Spanish teams including Mallorca B, Xerez and Levate, he first made headlines in the late 2000s while striking alongside his teammates over unpaid wages.
      In 2010, after retiring from playing, he became president of the Association of Spanish Footballers union.
      He took up his current position as FA chief in 2017, which he’s been called upon to resign from after heavy criticism following his most recent controversy in the Women’s World Cup.
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      Marketing manager for Spain’s Football Player Association, Tamara Ramos, claimed last week that Rubiales would ask her what colour underwear she had on in her time at the association, before he left in 2017.
      Rubiales was also has blamed for Spain’s loss in the 2018 FIFA World Cup after dismissing the men’s coach on the eve of their first match in the tournament.
      Multiple women have come forward with accusations ranging from “misogyny to sexual harassment”, and some allegations say he used public funds for “orgies.”
      Rubiales previously even booted his own uncle – chief of staff at FA Madrid’s headquarters – after he alleged Rubiales had organised a “private party” with “eight or 10 young girls” and made him pay for it with association funds.
      Most read in Football
      The women allegedly attended the “orgies” under the pretext of a “work event”, with their fees “paid for” by the football federation, according to Rubiales’ uncle.
      Juan Rubiales said: “A group of eight or 10 young girls was invited by the President’s friend and former player Nene.”
      Rubiales always insisted there was no party and that the event was actually for work purposes, but admitted there was a “barbecue with friends”.
      “There was also some leisure time, with a barbecue with friends — men and women,” he said.
      “It seems now you cannot have people of different genders having a drink and a paella together, which is what we did.”
      And sources who were aware of the event insisted the girls were “not prostitutes”, reported El Pais.
      In the midst of a scandal after audio leaked of Rubiales and former Barca player Gerard Piqué plotting to transfer the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia, the FA chief made outrageous claims.
      Alleging the leaked audio files were part of a campaign to smear him, Rubiales claimed the leak was a “mafia act”.
      Without specifying who he was referring to, he suggested: “I cannot guarantee one day they will put a bag of cocaine in the boot of my car.”
      In late 2022, 15 players posted an open letter to the federation complaining about the behaviour of RFEF bosses, citing attitudes to their “emotional and physical wellbeing”.
      Rubiales implied the players who complained were “blackmailing” the federation and said the women should “ask for forgiveness”.
      While there are a multitude of past incidents – which Rubiales has fervently denied – more are surfacing as the spotlight has shifted on the footie figurehead.
      Now in his latest scandal, Rubiales is facing a “sexual assault” probe and has refused to step down amid furore across Spain.
      After the infamous kiss seen around the world went viral, Rubiales initially defended his actions and branded critics as “idiots”.
      Rubiales did apologise later, saying: “I’ve no doubt made a mistake and I have to admit it”.
      But he then insisted he had no intention of leaving his post.
      That defiance, however, has only helped to deepen the outrage at his actions, as well as sparking wider criticism of his leadership.
      The Lionesses and LaLiga clubs joined in the surge of protests, with the public and politicians also voicing their displeasure.
      And the whole coaching team of Spain’s World Cup winners quit, except for manager Jorge Vilda.
      FIFA have now provisionally suspended him for 90 days and launched proceedings – and are said to want him banned for a maximum term of 15 years, the Daily Mail claims.
      Rubiales could end up facing charges of “sexual aggression” towards player Jenni Hermoso, as well as being asked to resign.
      A preliminary probe has already been announced amid the ongoing fury and protests about the kiss seen around the world.
      Read More on The Sun
      Meanwhile, his mum locked herself in a church and began a hunger strike to protest the “inhumane witch-hunt” against her son.
      His “celebrations” have been called inappropriateCredit: AFP
      “Rubiales out of play” has been displayed at many protestsCredit: Rex
      Jenni Hermoso said in a press conference that the kiss was unwantedCredit: AP
      Protests have erupted in Spain over the allegationsCredit: Rex More

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      Rubiales’ mum is ‘prepared to DIE’ as she continues church hunger strike amid calls for him to quit over kiss storm

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      ‘KISSGATE’ football chief Luis Rubiales’ mum has said she is prepared to die to get “justice” for her son.Retired hairdresser Angeles Bejar is now more than 24 hours into the hunger strike she launched yesterday morning at a church in the Costa resort of Motril near Malaga.
      Luis Rubiales sparked controversy when he kissed Jennifer HermosoCredit: Getty
      Angeles Bejar, left, has gone on a hunger strikeCredit: EPA
      She told a Spanish TV station in a dramatic WhatsApp exchange from her religious refuge: “I will stay here as long as my body holds out.
      “I don’t mind dying for justice because my son is a decent person and it’s not fair what they’re doing.”
      Overnight it was claimed she snuck into the Divina Pastora Church near her first-floor apartment home by telling a cleaner she was going to “say a prayer” for Luis, now facing a criminal probe in his homeland for kissing player Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s World Cup Women’s win over England in Australia just over a week ago.
      Angeles, 72, is said to have taken advantage of the moment the cleaning lady entered the church to mop up the floor and dust down the pews.
      READ MORE IN FOOTBALL
      The feisty OAP picked her moment while the priest was on holiday, a Spanish local claimed.
      She remained inside this morning with her sister-in-law Mari Carmen, with a doctor expected to make a new visit later to check Angeles is doing okay if she decides to continue with her extraordinary protest.
      She is thought to be drinking liquids, with reports water and isotonic drinks are inside the church sparking speculation she could be inside for several more days.
      The whereabouts of her son, who has been suspended for 90 days by Fifa, is unknown.
      Most read in Football
      Rubiales refused to step downCredit: AP
      Hermoso has insisted the kiss was not consensualCredit: Rex
      He travelled to Motril for a holiday on Saturday despite the town hall’s cancellation of a football match he was due to take part in with friends at a municipal stadium for “security reasons.”
      He is said to have met with some of his football pals at a country house just outside of town on Saturday afternoon, but has not been seen in public since he shocked the world by refusing to resign at an extraordinary Spanish FA general assembly last Friday.
      Family friend Maria Mora has claimed Luis is having difficulties talking with his mum.
      She claimed yesterday: “He’s very worried, he’s having a terrible day because he hasn’t been able to speak with her and he’s feeling terrible.
      “He doesn’t know what to do because for him his mother is the most important person in the world and she’s in that church.
      “He can’t communicate with her or do anything with her.”
      A mass is scheduled to take place at the church tonight and it is unclear whether police will return to the church today to try to persuade Angeles to end her protest.
      The priest is believed to have cut short his holiday but has so far refused to comment.
      Motril’s second-highest ranking police officer went to the church yesterday and spoke to Angeles as well as the doctor who attended her.
      He said afterwards: “She’s doing okay given her age.”
      State prosecutors at Spain’s Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid have opened a preliminary investigation into the post-World Cup kiss that has shaken the world of football amid allegations it was an abuse of power and a sexual assault.
      They also offered Hermoso, who has insisted she did not give Rubiales permission to kiss her, the chance to join in legal action against the 46-year-old divorced dad-of-three who has claimed their kiss was consensual.
      Spanish Football Federation regional leaders called on Rubiales, who apologised for grabbing his crotch in front of Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter Sofia in the same post-match celebrations in Sydney, to resign at an emergency meeting in Madrid yesterday.
      All 23 players on Spain’s World Cup-winning team have said they will not play international games while Rubiales remains in his post.
      Yesterday Spain’s deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz weighed into the row over the football boss’ behaviour, saying it showed ‘the worst of Spanish society.’
      Two of Rubiales’ female cousins were among those who turned up at the church where his mum is on hunger strike yesterday to defend him.
      Vanesa Ruiz Bejar insisted: “There’s a campaign of harassment occurring that is very unfair.
      “Luis’ mum who is a very religious person has sought refuge in God and started a hunger strike.
      “She doesn’t want to come out of the church. We are all suffering a lot because of what’s happened to Luis which doesn’t seem at all fair to us.
      “He’s been condemned already without being tried. It’s not normal. We won’t to be left alone. The facts speak for them, there are videos, there are audio recordings.”
      In a direct message to player Hermoso, she added: “Jenni, say the truth.’
      “Why has she changed her version three times? We have suffered a lot, we have had to leave our homes because of the harassment we’re suffering.
      “We won’t to be left alone and see justice done and we want this woman to tell the truth. Jenni, ‘tell the truth!”
      She went on to say Angeles Bejar, Luis’ mum, was in a very distressed state, adding: “She’s an elderly lady whose health is very delicate and she’s suffering a lot.
      “She’s crying all time and is not able to sleep and is not eating.
      “The person that spends five minutes with Luis knows he’s a really good person with a big heart. He’s a very noble person.”
      Asked when Angeles’ hunger strike would continue until, she said referring to Hermoso: “Until that woman speaks and tells the truth. I’m not saying who’s the baddie and who’s the goodie here, but I just want Hermoso to tell the truth.”
      Hermoso, 33, who plays for Mexican side Pachuca, has said in a statement of the kiss: “I want to make clear that not in any moment did the conversation occur that Mr Luis Rubiales references, and much less that his kiss was consensual.
      “In the same way I want to reiterate how I did in that moment that what happened was not enjoyable.
      Read More on The Sun
      “The situation left me in shock because of the context of the celebration, and with the time passed, and those initial feelings being able to sink, I feel the need to denounce this as I feel that no one, in no work space, sporting or social, should be a victim to this time of unconsensual behaviour.
      “I felt vulnerable and a victim of aggression, an impulsive act, sexist, out of place and without any type of consent from my part. In short, I wasn’t respected.” More

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      Spanish government say ‘we’ve seen worst of society’ in astonishing press conference blast over Rubiales kiss storm

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      SPANISH labour minister Yolanda Diaz has blasted the actions of Luis Rubiales and the male colleagues who have defended him.Rubiales was applauded by some after he refused to stand down in the wake of his Women’s World Cup final kiss storm.
      Labour minister Yolanda Diaz said ‘we’ve seen the worst of society’Credit: Sky News
      Luis Rubiales has refused to resign after kissing Jenni HermosoCredit: BBC/UNPIXS
      The Spanish FA chief, who has been suspended by Fifa, kissed captain Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation.
      Diaz has now criticised what she saw during his speech in which he defended his action, as she spoke at an explosive news briefing on Monday.
      She said “the worst of Spanish society” was on display as Rubiales was applauded by some of his male colleagues.
      She said: “Male chauvinism is structural in this country.”
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      As for their treatment of Hermoso, she added: “Instead of protecting her they actually made her suffer.
      “We have seen the worst of structural machismo in the behaviour of Mr Rubiales.”
      Diaz praised the work of the Spanish government but admitted they should have acted sooner.
      She told reporters: “The government is acting very positively but I think it’s deplorable that it was Fifa that brought in the sanction and not us.”
      Most read in Football
      Rubiales has been suspended by Fifa and could face a similar sanction from Uefa.
      However, the Spanish FA have voluntarily pointed out they should be axed from Uefa if the government were to intervene.
      Leaving the governing body would see the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid removed from this season’s Champions League.
      Diaz later said Rubiales had acted with “sexual aggression” during his kiss with Hermoso.
      As for the scenes at the ceremony in Australia, she continued: “Spanish society is profoundly feminist and avant-garde.
      “It’s certainly very strange that the whole of Spain should be witnessing this particular scene.”
      Rubiales’ kiss storm has also seen his mum go on hunger strike.
      She has locked herself in a church amid the scandal, slamming the “inhumane witch-hunt” against her son and is refusing to eat.
      Diaz slammed Rubiales and his colleaguesCredit: AFP
      Diaz spoke to the press at a news briefing on MondayCredit: AFP More

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      Luis Rubiales ‘sexual assault’ probe launched after fury over Spanish FA boss’s ‘unsolicited’ World Cup kiss with player

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      SPANISH prosecutors have opened a criminal investigation to establish if FA boss Luis Rubiales may have sexually assaulted Women’s World Cup star Jenni Hermoso.A preliminary probe was announced on Monday amid fury after the Spanish football chief, 46, kissed World Cup hero Hermoso, 33, during victory celebrations last week.
      Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales is facing a criminal investigation
      Rubiales has refused to resign amid the scandalCredit: AFP
      A statement from Spain’s highest court said: “Prosecutors from the National Court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault.”
      They would also contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a suit within 15 days.
      Prosecutors added they had also received a complaint of “obscene exhibitionism before a minor” after Rubiales appeared to grab his crotch in the stands next to Spain’s Princess Infanta Sofía.
      Rubiales, who was suspended by FIFA, has refused to resign over the scandal – prompting mass walkouts of players and staff and plunging the World Cup-winning nation into crisis.
      RUBIALES SCANDAL
      He has insisted the kiss was consensual and that he is the victim of character assassination by “false feminists”.
      In a powerful statement on Friday, Hermoso said: “I felt vulnerable and a victim of an assault, an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part.”
      As many as 11 members of women’s football staff in the Spanish football federation have also resigned from their posts.
      But the controversial Spain women’s coach Jorge Vilda did not resign despite criticising Rubiales’ conduct.
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      The court’s announcement came as Spain’s deputy prime minister Yolanda Diaz slammed “systemic” sexism on Monday.
      Meanwhile Rubiales’ elderly mum launched a bizarre hunger-strike protest over what she called an “inhumane witch-hunt” against her son.
      She has demanded World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso tell the “truth” about the kiss – which Hermoso has made clear was not consensual.
      The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort of Motril east of Malaga where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
      She began her hunger strike this morning accompanied by a sister, 48, hours after her son travelled to Motril for a holiday.
      Angeles, whose husband is a former mayor of Motril, says she will continue her radical action until father-of-three son Luis receives “justice” and Hermoso “tells the truth”.
      Rubiales has been suspended by FIFA and could face a similar sanction from UEFA.
      However, the Spanish FA have threatened to leave UEFA if they were to intervene.
      Read More on The Sun
      Leaving the governing body would see the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid removed from this season’s Champions League.
      Deputy Prime Minister and Labor Minister Yolanda Díaz slammed sexism in Spanish footballCredit: WENN
      Spain’s World Cup winners celebrating their victoryCredit: Getty More