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    Laura Woods slams disgraced Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales and calls for his ‘social assassination’

    LAURA WOODS has slammed Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales for refusing to resign amid his ongoing kiss scandal.Rubiales, 46, grabbed and kissed Spain forward Jenni Hermoso, 33, on the lips following Spain’s 1-0 World Cup final win over England on Sunday.
    Woods has criticised Rubiales for kissing HermosoCredit: Rex
    Rubiales kissed the forward after the Women’s World Cup finalCredit: BBC
    Hermoso has since admitted she did not consent to the kiss, despite Rubiales claiming that she did.
    The RFEF – Royal Spanish Football Federation – president has received widespread criticism as a result, with 81 Spain stars now refusing to play for the women’s team until he is dismissed.
    Rubiales rejected the chance to resign from his position during an emergency press conference on Friday and blamed “false feminism” for his “social assassination”.
    And the Spanish Football Federation are now defending him by threatening legal action against Hermoso and her international teammates.
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    Several players and pundits have since shown their support for the forward, including ITV and TNT Sports presenter Woods.
    The 36-year-old heavily criticised the RFEF in a passionate rant on Friday afternoon.
    In a social media thread, Woods tweeted: “Luis Rubiales letting his mask slip while The World was watching SHOULD be the final warning in a long & exhausted list of warnings that have been ignored.
    “A microscopic look into The Spanish FA’s behaviour towards & treatment of The Women’s National Team & its failure to listen to the 15 that protested against their coach Jorge Vilda is embarrassingly overdue.
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    The presenter has called for an investigation into the Spanish FACredit: Getty
    He refused to resign from his position on Friday after addressing the issueCredit: Reuters
    “On Rubiales, he either didn’t know his behaviour (and previous) was wrong, OR…he did, and did it anyway. For someone in his position, one reason is surely as dangerous as the other.
    “Best case – Rubiales should not hold that much power with so little self awareness.
    “This actually isn’t trial by social media…it’s a pattern of behaviour being called out in a way that can’t be ignored any longer.
    “And if some sort of justice is served, perhaps a ‘social assassination’ as Rubiales calls it, is exactly what was needed.”
    World Cup runners-up England have also expressed support for the national team.
    The Lionesses released a joint statement on Friday evening which read: “Unacceptable actions allowed to happen by a sexist and patriarchal organisation.
    “Abuse is abuse and we have all seen the truth.
    “The behaviour of those who think they are invincible must not be tolerated and people shouldn’t need convincing to take action against any form of harassment.
    “We all stand with you, Jenni Hermoso and all players of the Spanish team.”
    Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias became the first men’s player to take action against the RFEF this week when he announced that he will go on strike from international football until the issue is resolved.
    He tweeted: “I am sad and disappointed.
    “As a footballer and as a person I don’t feel represented by what happened today in the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas. I find it unfortunate that they continue to press and focus on a colleague.
    “Wearing the Spanish national team shirt is one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my career.
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    “I don’t know if at some point I will be an option again, but I have made the decision not to return to the national team until things change and this type of act does not go unpunished.
    “For a fairer, more humane and decent football.” More

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    I was mistaken for an Aston Villa star and hounded for autographs by ‘hundreds’ of fans – I signed them anyway

    A FOOTBALL fan was mistaken for a Premier League star — and went along with it as he posed for pictures and signed autographs.Amando Boakye, 23, was mobbed as he attended Aston Villa’s pre-season match with Valencia.
    Football fan Amando Boakye, 23, was mistaken for a Premier League star — and went along with it as he posed for pictures and signed autographs.Credit: Kennedy Newsand Media
    Amando, above, think fans mistook him for Villa midfielder Jacob RamseyCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media
    Amando with Tyrone MingsCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media
    The Ghanian believes fans mistook him for Villa midfielder Jacob Ramsey — and he was happy to play along.
    He had arrived at the Mestalla Stadium last Saturday wearing a Villa training top — and suddenly was in demand.
    He said: “I drew a crowd of more than 200. People wanted autographs and pictures and I did them for an hour before the game. I’ve never seen anything like it in my life.
    “They were eager to take the pictures with me so I felt I had to do it to make them happy.
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    “I was relaxed and did it for them like a professional. It felt like I was a player and I was ­living my dream of playing for Aston Villa.”
    In a video, viewed more than 600,000 times, he said: “I’m Jacob Ramsey. Can’t believe my eyes. I’m living the best of my life.”
    It has proved an online hit. One user said: “F****** priceless. A young fella’s dream come true.” Another said: “I have no idea what is happening in this footage. I don’t think our man does either.”
    Charity worker Amando, from Juaben, runs Villa fan club Ghana Lions, with more than 28,500 Twitter followers.
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    It was the first time he had seen the Midlands club play live in person, having travelled from Luxembourg, where he was staying with a mate.
    And after the match he got a picture with the club’s England defender Tyrone Mings by the team bus.
    Amando being mobbed by fans after his autograph – which he was happy to giveCredit: Kennedy Newsand Media
    HE’S A VILLA FAN, NOT A CRIMINAL
    THE word Villan has been used to describe fans of Aston Villa since 1879.
    Some wrongly assume it’s a misspelling of “villain” — the bad guy in fiction or slang for a crook.
    Club programme editor Jack Urry is credited with coming up with the term, while The Villa Villan character was designed by cartoonist Tom Webster in 1905. More