Three weeks ago, I wrote If one child learnt from the World Cup Final that it’s not okay just to randomly grab a person and kiss them on the lips, then that’s progress.
When Rubiales congratulated Jenni Hermoso by forcing a kiss on her, it should have led to at the very least a debate, a great way for all of us to educate ourselves.
It never needed a man to lose his job and it certainly shouldn’t require him to be in court on Friday.
If the Football President had held his hands up, apologised and cited being caught up in euphoria having just seen his nation become World Champions he wouldn’t have been summoned by a Hight Court Judge , the whole Spanish squad who went to Australia wouldn’t have quit in protest , their manager wouldn’t have been sacked and people might actually have mentioned what happened on the pitch.
Naivety can’t be an excuse of course. Yet by defiantly digging in his heels, he made it worse for himself.
Taking the emotion out of things, the 44-year-old was being paid a lot of money to represent his country. He would have been taught how to conduct himself in certain events.
Decorum would have been expected in high profile occasions.
You don’t get a bigger spotlight then a World Cup Final, so from his employer’s point of view he should have had enough training to act with more professionalism than grabbing his crotch and kissing players on the lips.
Similar people have done his job and have been able to hand out medals without acting in the manner he did.
From a professional perspective someone whose job it was to represent their flag (and again financially benefitted) couldn’t have done more for the women’s achievement to be completely overshadowed.
Days later when he saw the backlash, he again put his pride above what was best for the sport he was an ambassador for.
81 players refused international duty unless Rubiales resigned, a resignation if he had made earlier could have saved close ally Jorge Vilda’s job and many could have learnt by a simple discussion.
It’s offensive to those who have been sexually assaulted that this incident has reached the point where legal teams are getting involved.
All very sad
Dan
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In any non Spanish speaking country this would have been resolved immediately. They do not rate the role of women in society but less so in football.
I hoped the 81 involved in the boycott would wait until the case had been heard.
The response to women in Football/Sport in this country is far from supportive among many men who probably feel they should be chained to the sink. It is an outdated mentality and speaks volumes about the continuing struggle.
I don’t Know why people like you read stupid meaning into everything, personally I don’t like women football, for me it’s just boring but that doesn’t mean I want them chained in a sink. Don’t I have the right to like or dislike something?
It doesn’t seem to have any positive impact in Spain anyway.only a few days ago,this young Spanish woman working as a reporter/correspondent for a breakfast show,was touched/assaulted live on TV.a walking passer-by touched her behind and then when she confronted him,he touched her hair/head.he was arrested shortly after that,live on the show.
Siamois, your example of sexual harassment, has no correlation with the subject of the footballing one in my opinion.
I have been at matches where other fans of both sexes have shown their pure joy and happiness by cuddling, slapping backs, high fiveing etc etc.
I’ve watched the video a few times and, although what he did was wrong, it was not a sexual attack AND if you follow what the player does after the kiss, she walks away with a broad grin, to carry on celebrating the win.
He should not have let his emotions get the better of him, apologised immediately, both publicly and privately and offered his resignation, or even resigned the next day.
But this has turned into a witch hunt of a man, who as far as I can tell, has no previous convictions or examples of what he is being accused of.
Talk about making a mountain out of a molehill.. and I’m a father of two daughters who are equally baffled by the way this incident has escalated to where it is now.
Now in case anyone tries to interpret this as condoning any sexual preditory act, I believe ANYONE caught sexually, or otherwise, assaulting another person should be thrown in jail and the key flushed down the toilet, or better still, just permanently remove them from society – they are the scum of the earth.
Strongly agree Ken, I have watched the video several times and yet to conclude Rubiales intentions was criminal. One court did stated though the kiss on the lips were serious it was not very serious.
There is no doubt the president had made a massive blunder and only compounded it with refusing to apologize immediately after.
He has finally done the right thing and resigned, hope his poor mom end her hungry strike and all parties return to some form of normal life
Very balanced opinion Ken. I too saw the incident exactly as you did, the player didn’t look upset at all. It looked almost consunsual.
All this for just a 2 seconds kiss. England should’ve won it. At least they celebrate such triumph properly.
What should have been a national joy have been thrown in the dump to scratch some egos.
We live in a world now where truly horrible crimes and conducts have lesser consequences than a 2 seconds non consensual kiss.
There should be a reasonable scale of crime and consequences. I don’t think this saga has done women’s football any good.
That president was wrong and should have apologized and try to make amends in a reasonable way but he is paying too much compared to what he did.
And this strengthen my belief that all celebrities, sport personalities and everyone whose income depends maintaining rosy public image are hypocrites to the core.
Many of them who have commented on these issues haven’t been reasonable. Only the usual selling out to the highest bidder by guarding that reputation for sponsorships, views and likes.
Being truthful, honest, reasonable and straight is and has never been easy and it comes with grave consequences for anyone who takes that path.
Its disgusting that he kisses her without consent. He grabbed her head too.
I hope he gets some jail time
Stephanie, if someone grabbed you by the head and kissed you, what would your reaction be?
I know what l would do!!!
Exactly @Ken1945.
My point exactly on Dan’s similar post weeks ago. she should have done the needfull by preventing it,push him or maybe expressed her disgust immediately but she took it and walked away celebrating instead. At least Rubiales got the balls to admit he did’nt ask for her consent before he did it otherwise it would have been a different story especially the fact that she’s heavily inked which people might mistaken for being loose or streets.i hope justice prevails though.
It is said great men make great mistakes, whether Luis Rubiales was seen as a great man is another matter.
The president has made a huge mistake and his critics now get his blood, he maybe too at their mercy as the drama is not going away
Most women sport don’t generate as much as they spend. The amount of work and sacrifice men had done for women sport are tremendous. And kissing is a big part of Hispanic communication, whether men or women. This minor issue should have been dealt with privately and properly. Not through the way of Woke generations and crazy feminists. No male players gonna go near a woman or a child in a sports event after this. And men don’t suffer the end consequences of this, women and children will.