Spain men’s team star quits international football in revolt over Luis Rubiales kiss | Football | Sport

Spain striker Borja Iglesias has vowed not to play for the national team until Luis Rubiales is punished. Spanish FA president Rubiales incredibly refused to resign over his kiss on women’s footballer Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup final. 

Rubiales has caused a furore in Spanish football by kissing the cheek of Hermoso during the tournament’s trophy presentation. Hermoso had been key to Spain’s 1-0 win over England last Sunday, despite her second-half penalty miss. 

Video then emerged of him appearing to grab his crotch in celebration in close proximity to the Queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter. Several figures across football have called for the 46-year-old to quit. 

However, Betis’ Iglesias has gone one further by insisting that he will not represent the men’s national team until appropriate action has been taken against Rubiales. The 30-year-old, capped twice by La Roja in 2022 and 2023, says it is ‘unfortunate’ that the attention continues to be on Rubiales’s behaviour. 

“I am sad and disappointed,” Iglesias tweeted. “As a footballer and as a person I don’t feel represented by what happened today in the Ciudad del Futbol de Las Rozas. I find it unfortunate that they continue to press and focus on a colleague.

“Wearing the Spanish national team shirt is one of the greatest things that has happened to me in my career. I don’t know if at some point I will be an option again, but I have made the decision not to return to the National Team until things change and this type of act does not go unpunished.

“For a fairer, more humane and decent football.”

In a chaotic press conference on Friday, Rubiales frequently insisted: “No, I will not resign!”

He added: “Jenni was the one who lifted me up. I told her to ‘forget about the penalty’ and I said to her ‘a little peck?’ and she said ‘OK’.

“It was a spontaneous kiss. Mutual, euphoric and consensual. That’s the key. A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end.”

However, Hermoso herself responded to the media afterwards: “Er…no I did not like that.” She then released a statement along with her union Futpro calling for action to be taken against Rubiales.

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