Posted by Legendary Spanish player Andres Iniesta has spoken out against Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), for his actions at the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Australia.
After Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the Women’s World Cup final, Rubiales was so overjoyed that she kissed Spanish attacker Jenni Hermoso with all her might.
The 46-year-old, who has subsequently apologized for his behavior, refused to resign amid calls for his resignation and instead spoke out against “unjust” campaigns and “fake feminism” in a recent forceful address.
On Sunday, Iniesta, a member of the Spanish men’s national team that won the 2010 FIFA World Cup, tweeted, “After what has happened this week, I would like to convey my sadness, as a person, as the father of three daughters, as a husband, and as a footballer, in the face of the events that we are experiencing in our football and around the Spanish women’s team.
I think it’s unacceptable that recent performances have tainted such a significant achievement as a World Cup victory. I can’t even begin to fathom how the national team players must be feeling right now, what with the silence around the magnificent tournament they just finished and the fantastic football lessons they taught us all. It’s unfortunate that the pristine narrative constructed by so many contributors over so many years has descended into such filth.
Instead, we’ve had to put up with a president who refuses to resign, despite the fact that his actions have hurt the reputation of both our country and the sport of football internationally.
Meanwhile, on Friday, FIFA banned Rubiales from participating in any football-related activities for three months.