Rubiales misbehaved with England players too, new FIFA report says

There could be more trouble for Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former Spanish football body president, with Fifa releasing new allegations against him on Wednesday, 6 December. England FA chair Debbie Hewitt had accused Rubiales of ‘inappropriate’ conduct with English players too after the Spain-England final in New Zealand. 

The Fifa, which was already banned Rubiales for three years, made public Hewitt’s deposition which said that during the medal ceremony, Rubiales cupped and stroked the face of England player Laura Coombs and seemingly forcefully kissed Lucy Bronze  

Rubiales, already slapped with a three-year ban on allegations of forcefully kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso on her lips, responded to the Fifa statement saying Coombs had been injured and was wearing a bandage on her head, which is why he tried to comfort her, and that Bronze was Super Cup champion in Spain and Rubiales had participated in the celebration. 

Hewitt, the English FA official, who was next to Rubiales at the medal ceremony, also said the Spaniard’s tone of voice was ‘unpleasant and unnecessarily aggressive’ with Fifa workers. 

‘’The Committee wished to stress that it was tempted to impose more severe sanctions in view of the seriousness and gravity of the incidents at stake as well as of the profound negative impact that the Respondent’s actions had on the image of Fifa, women’s football and women’s sport in general,’’ Fifa said in the report. 

It went on to say that with strong hesitations, the disciplinary committee was satisfied that a three-year ban would serve the necessary deterrent effect. 

When Fifa announced the sentence in October, Rubiales said he would appeal and accused Fifa of not giving him the chance to defend himself. ‘’I will go to the last resort to see that justice is done and that the truth shines through,’’ he said in a statement via social media.