Last Friday, before more than 30 television cameras and several dozen journalists, he arrived at the National Court Luis Rubiales to testify before the head of the Central Court of Instruction number 1 as being investigated for the kiss on the mouth that he gave to Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final won by the women’s soccer team in Sydney, on August 20. A statement after which Judge Francisco de Jorge has prohibited the already resigned president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation from approaching a radius of 200 meters from the player Jenni Hermoso and communicating with her by any means during the investigation of the case that is being carried out. investigates against him for alleged crimes of sexual assault and coercion.
However, Rubiales’ assets
The judge refused, however, to impose on him the obligation to appear every fifteen days at the nearest court or police station as the Prosecutor’s Office had requested., as well as the request of the player’s lawyer, who was prosecuting the private prosecution, to preventively seize the defendant’s assets. The restraining order was different from the one requested by the Prosecutor’s Office, which was 500 meters. The statement lasted approximately an hour in which, according to tax sources, Rubiales responded to both the judge and the rest of the parties. and has denied coercion and lack of consent in the kiss he gave the Spanish soccer team player on August 20, at the World Cup trophy presentation in Sydney.
While this was happening, in the Spanish Football Federation the Regional and Territorial presidents confirmed the interim Pedro Rocha as the manager who assumes the task of taking over from Rubiales and leading the RFEF to new elections, which the Higher Sports Council intends to be held. in the first half of 2024.
The first obstacle that Rocha must overcome is to unblock the squad of the world champions, who confirmed that same Friday that they will not respond to the call of the new coach Montse Tomé. “We firmly believe that strong changes are required in the leadership positions of the RFEF and, specifically, in the area of women’s football,” they noted in a statement signed by 39 players, including 21 of the 23 world champions, in the which confirmed that they maintained their refusal to play with Spain as long as changes do not continue to occur. “All of these people understand that they must be far from the system that should protect us and that unfortunately is far removed from an advanced society,” The footballers report in a statement in which they have detailed the five points they demand to wear the national team shirt again: a restructuring of the women’s football organization chart, as well as the presidential cabinet and the general secretary, the resignation of the president of the RFEF (referring to Luis Rubiales, already resigned), a restructuring of the communication and marketing area and also of the integrity management.
Sports director and unlocking
The players demand a deep cleaning in the Spanish Football Federation, after having already informed the federative body that they are not eligible to play for the Spanish team. Not all those who won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand signed the letter: Athenea del Castillo and Claudia Zornoza, who announced her withdrawal from the national team, were not part of it. After the publication of the text, the Federation delayed the press conference and presentation of Montse Tomé as coach, where she had to announce the list for the Nations League matches, qualifiers for the next Olympic Games in Paris.
A call that has not yet occurred and that the RFEF hopes to make at the beginning of this week. The Federation is working in the last few hours to convince the players to respond to Montse Tomé’s call, and at the same time an alternative list is being drawn up in case the world champions cannot be counted. The intention of the RFEF is also present the change of organizational chart and give a first and last name to the position of sports director of women’s football, for which a candidate is sought. This is about convincing the champions to unblock their refusal and be able to count on them in the matches against Switzerland and Sweden.