Suspended Spanish FA president, Luis Rubiales, has agreed to step down weeks after shoving aside public pressure to quit his job amid the kiss row following Spain’s Women’s World Cup win.
Rubiales had remained defiant in the aftermath of the final against England in Sydney on August 20, adamant he would not quit his role despite international outcry.
But on Sunday, he confirmed to the Piers Morgan Uncensored show that he will resign, saying “I cannot continue my work”.
Rubiales was already provisionally barred from all football activity for an initial 90 days by FIFA while it investigates his conduct at the final.
He kissed Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation, something the midfielder had said she did not consent to. However, Rubiales maintained it was consensual.
Prosecutors at Spain’s top criminal court said in a statement that they had opened a preliminary investigation into Rubiales’s kiss on the grounds it could constitute a crime of “sexual assault”.
In the statement the prosecutors said they would contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a lawsuit within 15 days.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) issued a statement saying the embattled president would “defend himself legally in the competent bodies” to prove “his complete innocence“.
Associated Press (AP) reported that the Spanish federation had called on the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) to suspend it from international competitions because of government interference related to the Rubiales controversy.