FIFA suspends Spain president Luis Rubiales, federation accuses player of lying about kiss

FIFA provisionally suspended Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales for at least 90 days after he refused to step down after kissing Spanish player Jennifer Hermoso following the country's World Cup victory, the world's governing body of soccer said Saturday.

The suspension is effective immediately and pending FIFA's disciplinary proceedings opened against Rubiales on Thursday. It bars Rubiales from participating in any football-related activity at the national and international level.

FIFA’s move came after the federation threatened legal action against Hermoso for refusing to accept Rubiales’s version of the kiss. In another statement Saturday, the RFEF accused Hermoso of lying about the accusations.

But by Saturday evening, that post had been removed from the federation's website.

"I want to reiterate that I did not like what happened," Hermoso said Friday. “I felt vulnerable and was a victim of assault, what happened was sexist, impulsive, out of place, and non-consensual.”

FIFA also ordered Rubiales not to contact Hermoso or anyone close to her and mandated that any RFEF officials or employees stay away from Hermoso as well.

"FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respect the integrity of all persons and therefore condemns with the utmost vigor any behavior to the contrary," FIFA said in a statement.

What has Luis Rubiales said?

Rubiales has remained defiant, saying he will not step down as president, claiming the kiss was consensual, and trying to defend his actions.

"Do you think this [incident] is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football?" Rubiales said. "Let me tell you: I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign. I'm not going to resign."

The Spanish federation said vice president Pedro Rocha will become acting president and added that Rubiales “has complete trust in the FIFA’s procedures and will use this opportunity to start his defense so that the truth is known and he is proven innocent.” 

World Cup champions won't play until Rubiales is removed

The national team said in a statement Friday that they will not play again until Rubiales is removed. That statement was signed by all 23 players on the World Cup team and more than 50 other female soccer players.

"My union, FUTPRO, in coordination with my agency, TMJ, are taking care of defending my interests and being the interlocutors on this matter," the union said, adding that the actions of Rubiales "should never go unpunished."

Reaction in Spain

The president of Spain’s women’s league, Beatriz Álvarez, told The Associated Press that she believed this was the end of Rubiales’ soccer career.

“Luis Rubiales is finished. He has dug his own grave with his acts and his words,” Álvarez said. “Whether it is because of the action of FIFA or the Spanish government, I am sure that Luis Rubiales won’t spend another minute as president of the Spanish federation.”

Spain’s government filed a lawsuit Friday alleging that Rubiales violated the country’s sports laws on two counts: for an alleged abuse of power and for allegedly committing acts that tarnished the dignity and decorum of a sporting event. If found guilty, Rubiales could be ruled unfit to hold office.

Contributing: Associated Press