Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has now come under political scrutiny after he kissed one of Spain's players after they won the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup on Sunday.
The Spanish women's national team claimed their maiden World Cup title after beating reigning European champions England 1-0 in the final thanks to a 29th-minute strike from Olga Carmona.
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They became the only the fifth team to win the prestigious tournament since its inauguration in 1991, following previous victors the United States (four times), Germany (twice), Norway, and Japan.
Although it was a historic moment for Spain, celebrations were quickly diluted with controversy when the Spanish FA's president grabbed and kissed La Roja star Jenni Hermoso on the podium.
The incident has since sparked huge outrage, with many in the European nation calling for Rubiales to explain himself and apologise, which he has since done through a video posted on social media on Monday, stating: "There is an action that I must regret, between a player and I that has caused a lot of noise... there are some people who have felt hurt, and in light of that, I have to apologise, there is no other way."
Further reports suggest, however, that the matter has now escalated in the political sphere, with the Spain vice-president Yolanda Diaz now calling for the football chief to resign from office.
"We continue to call for the resignation of Rubiales, who has harassed and assaulted a woman," she said, according to Relevo.
"Your excuses are worth nothing.
"They have shown us many things about equality, not only in sports and football.
"They have shown us that there is still a lot to do in our country, that there is still a lot to do so that men and women can become equal.
"(The players) are victims of singularly retributive discrimination."
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Hermoso herself has insisted that Rubiales did nothing wrong, saying that the incident "was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings".
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