After Rubiales Releases Digital Art NFTs Still Proclaiming His Innocence In The Face of Clear Video Evidence To The Contrary. We Review The Background To The Case, Some of The Responses At The Time Including From Lionesses Jess Carter And Ella Toone, And New Developments In The Timeline As The Case Continues.
Spanish Striker Spain’s @sefubolfem & Mexico’s @clubtigresfemenil Jenni Hermoso
Jess Carter’s Take On The Rubiales Case
(…And Comment From Other Sportswomen Too)
Rubiales Was Arguably Handsy With Many People (Including Himself) Even Before The Jenni Hermoso Intrusive Kiss At The Medal Ceremony. Many, Including The Head of La Liga Javier Tebas, Took Offence To Him Grabbing & Waggling His Willy Up And Down Horizontally Inside His Trousers As Spain Scored Their Goal In The Final. And He’d Seemingly Invaded The Personal Space of A Number of Players In The Medal Ceremony Line Before The Ultimate Hermoso Kiss Outrage.
I Think The Main Problem Is, Whether It’s Male or Female, It’s Being So Narrowminded About Things, More Than The Actual Gender.
There Are Men In Power Who Are Willing To Support And Go The Extra Mile And Understand And Learn A Bit Better.
So There Are Definitely Some People Out There That Do Do That.
I Just Think Maybe That Pool of People Is Very Small.
So We’re Hopeful That After Conversations That We Are Continuing To Have, That People In Power Are Willing To Step Up And Help Out A Bit More.
Jess Carter, Lioness,
Talking To Sky News,
Shortly After The FIFA
Women’s World Cup 2023
And Two Seperate Controversies.
Firstly FIFA Boss Gianni Infantino
Saying It Is
For Women To Break Down Doors
And
Secondly The Rubiales Kiss Scandal
“For the Spanish this isn’t just about a kiss
This is about systemic misogyny towards their players over many years.
It’s not an isolated incident. This goes back to the federation not supporting them the way they deserve.”
Chelsea Manager, Soon To Be USA Manager, Emma Hayes, Talking To The Guardian, September 8 2023
“It made me think about how much we are required to endure”
“Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: some of the players who stood up way back last year [to protest against mistreatment] still aren’t on the team“
“Maybe that was something that galvanized them [to win the final], but you shouldn’t have to have that”
“It Shows The deep level of misogyny and sexism”
Megan Rapinoe, Newly Retired
United States Women’s National Team Captain & Legendary Striker
Speaking
With Franklin Foer of The Atlantic September 2023
Monday September 18th 2023 – A Week After Rubiales Finally Resigns A Meeting Held Between RFEF, The CSD And The Players Reportedly Lasts Late Into The Early Hours of 5am Next Morning, Addressing Issues Such As The International Incident At The Medal Ceremony, The Subsequent Refusal To Resign Speech At The General Assembly And The Lack of Humility, Events of Recent Days, Training & Travel Conditions, And A New Zero-Tolerance Policy Regarding Gender Inquality.
Jess Carter @_jesslcarter With Fellow FIFA World Cup Lioness Super Striker Lauren James @lj10 (Barclays Player of The Month Last Month) REFF (Tuesday September 5th 2023 Issued An Apology To Both Women’s FIFA WWC Final Teams Regarding The Unconsented Rubiales Kiss
Wednesday September 20 2023 The Office of RFEF Secretary General Dispensed With As Permitted Under Article 39 of The Current RFEF Statutes (Until A New Election Cycle) So Andre Camps Effectively Made Redundant. The Ironically Titled ‘Head of Integrity’ Miguel García Caba Is Also Removed.
Notably the Former RFEF General Secretary Andreu Camps Objected To The CSD’s (Consejo Superior de Deportes – High Council of Sport) Referral of The Case To TAD (The Tribunal of Administration In Sport) After The Rubiales Speech Refusing To Resign At The General Assembly Meeting And Hermoso’s statement On Friday August 25th 2023 (As Outlined In Our august 2023 Issue). He Maintained They Had No Right As Government Affiliated Bodies (Despite Being Officially Autonomous) To Intervene In Private Organisations Such As UEFA & RFEF (Which They Are Under Spanish Sports Law).
Whilst RFEF Eventually U-Turned UEFA Never Really Found Themselves At The Forefront of The Fight For hermoso’s Rights. It Is A Europe Focused Association Whereas RFEF Is Specifically Spain Focused And Very Protective of Spain’s World Cup Bid To Host The 2030 World Cup (Which It Has Now Won Twice). This May or May Not Have Influenced Developments.
Thursday 21 September 2023 Players Irene Paredes and Alexia Putellas Lead A Press Conference Wherein They Confirm That The Meeting Between RFEF, The CSD, And The Players (Monday September 18th 2023) Was Constructive And That The Team Would Now Play In The Scheduled Match Against Sweden On Friday September 22 2023 After All Despite Previously Refusing To Play Under The Remnants of The Former Rubiales Regime. It Would Be The Team’s First Game Since The Medal Ceremony. @alexiaputellas @ireneparedes4
“We have never asked for dismissal,
or to appoint or remove a coach;
never.
All we have done is convey, as captains, concerns or concepts with which the team was not comfortable. That’s not our job,” she explained.
“Football is a reflection of society; and one of the reasons that drove us to continue with our complaint was that these attitudes would not occur in society.”
Alexia Putellas, Press Conference Thurs Sept 21st 2023
“From Here we know that some things take time,
Irene Paredes
but Changes are already happening”
press conference
Thursday 21 September 2023 following Meeting Between RFEF, The CSD, And The Players monday september 18th 2023
Winning World Cup Goal Scorer Olga Carmona @olgacarmona7
New Fresh Perspectives -v-Narrowmindedness
The Ninth FIFA Women’s World Cup Tournament, Held From July 20th – August 20th 2023, Was The First Time The Lionesses Reached The Final, And The First Time The Spanish Women’s Team (La Roja Fem) Actually Won It. Their 1-0 Victory Was Secured By A Goal From Olga Carmona Making It The Second Time Spain Has Won The Football Competition As A Nation (After The Men’s Team Won It In 2010).
Staged In Stadiums In Both Austrailia And New Zealand, Who Between Them Hosted 32 Countries, It Was Dynamic, Largely A Success And Great To Watch.
However, Sadly Right At The Very End of The Event, During The Medal Ceremony, The Notorious Rubiales Matter Caused Outrage After He Forcefully Grabbed Jenni Hermoso’s Head, Locked His Forearms Across The Top of Her Shoulders, Drew Her Towards His Face And Kissed Her On The Lips As Though He Had A Right To Do So. (The Fallout From The International Incident Is Detailed In TheOrator.Press (TO.P) August 2023).
Helping To Combat Narrowmindedness The @Equal Playing Field Initiative Promotes Opportunity, Equality & Respect For #AnyGirlAnywhere And Reports On Positive Progress In Female Football.
Started In 2017 It Endeavours To Help thers Develop More Positive Attitudes Within The Womens Game.
For Example The Joint Purchase of A Women’s Football Team By Serena Williams And Her Husband Alexis Ohanian Is Documented There As Is Brazil’s Promise to Pay Its National Male And Female Football Teams Equally.
The Big Corporation Clash Involving Lioness Goalkeeper Mary Earps @1maryearps And Sports Clothing Brand Nike Was Ultimately Successful With The Help of People Power And Fans Voicing Their Opinion To The Company.
Nike Scored A Huge Own Goal By Failing To Include The Kit of The Lioness Goalkeeper When It Made The Lioness Kits Available. After A Public Outcry From A Disappointed Public Who Wanted To Show Their Love For The World Cup Penalty-Saving Football Star The International Corporation Eventually Did A UTurn And Made A Ltd Edition Available (Which Sold Out In Hours).
Earps Was On The Jonathan Ross Show Saturday Night March 30th 2024 And Received A Round of Applause As They Spoke of The Matter. Amongst Others On The Couch With Her Was Rapper Yung Filly Who Shared Bare Jokes With Her After Jonathan Revealed Her Unique Talent of Picking Up Apples With Her Feet, In Addition To Her Talented Goalkeeping Hands. @The Jonathan Ross Show Official @YungFily @1maryearps
Also On Was New Aimee Winehouse Film Director @SamTaylorJohnson Who’s Husband @ArronTaylorJohnson (Famously Over Two Decades Her Jnr) Has This Month Been Announced As The New James Bond. Officially Yet To Be Confirmed!
BBC Sports Personality of The Year & Goalkeeper of The FIFA WWC 2023
Girl Power! People Power! Power To The People!
Friday 15 Septemer 2023 Spain’s National Court In Madrid Issued An Injunction Against Rubiales From Going Within 200m of Hermoso And Prohibiting Him From Contacting Her.
Rubiales Attended Court With His Lawyer Olga Tubau And Denied The Charges of Sexual Assault And Coercion.
Outside Court After The 45 Minute Hearing, Hermoso’s lawyer, Carla Vall, Said “Everyone had seen what happened“
And
“We can say precisely that thanks to [these images], and thanks to social change, and changes in the law, we can show that Mr Rubiales had a complete lack of consent.”
On The Same Day (Friday 15 September 2023) New Coach Montse Tome Had To Postpone Her Debut Press Conference Announcing Spain’s Squad For Two Upcoming Scheduled UEFA Games Between Sweden & Switzerland As 39 players, including 21 members From The World Cup squad signed a letter Demanding Change Before Playing For The National Team Again. This Included Zero Tolerence For those Who “incited, covered up or applauded attitudes that go against women’s dignity”.
Monday October 30th 2023 FIFA’s Disciplinary Committee Announced Rubiales Is Banned From All National & International Football Activity For Three Years After Breaching Article 13 of The FIFA Disciplinary Code Which Deals With Offensive Behaviour And Matters of Fairplay.
It Reiterated What It Called “its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct.”
Tuesday March 26 2024 (Virtually 6 Months Since The Original Offending Unconsented Kiss Was Planted On Hermosos Lips) Spain’s National Prosecutors Office Confirm That They Are Seeking Two And A Half Years Imprisonment And A Fine of 86,000 Euros Against Rubiales In The Hermoso Case Against Him. Hermoso Has Unintentionally Become A Gender Equality Champion. The Fine Is For Her Inconvenience.
[It Is Very Significant That Following The Notorious 2016, La Manga Gang, Wolf WhatsApp Group, Bull Run Festival, Gang Rape Case, Strict Consent Laws Were Introduced In Spain, Known As “Only Yes Means Yes” When It Comes To Consent.]
“It’s a point that will be a before and after.
Alexia Putellas
I trust that the agreements reached will make our sport, and consequently society, better”
press conference
Thursday 21 September 2023 following Meeting Between RFEF, The CSD, And The Players monday september 18th 2023
Former President of The Royal Federation of Spanish Football Luis Rubiales Was Suspended By FIFA A Week After This Contested Consentless Kiss Which Caused International Outrage. The Following Month He Reluctantly Resigned, Whilst Insisting That He Is Innocent And The Victim of Fake Feminism.
Unremarkable Rubiales Digital Art
(Technology Art For Art Sake’
An Artless Fake?)
On January 2024 Rubiales Announced On X @LuisRubiales17 That He Has Produced A New Digital NFT Art Collection Available To Buy, By Those Who Wish To Support Him In His Fight For ‘Real’ Issues of Equality ‘Not’ Radicalism or Media Manipulations. This Is In Association With A Company Called Moon Labs Who Issued A Statement (Which He May or May Not Have Insisted That They Make) Claiming That He “Made A Small Mistake” At The World Cup And His Actions Should Not Be Considered Sexual Assault.
Comment: Unlike His Behaviour Central To The International Kiss-Gate/Grab-Gate Scandal His NFTs (None Fungible Tokens: Typically Units of Uniquely Identifiable Artwork Within A Blockchain) Seem Oddly Unremarkable.
Headed Up ‘Let’s Support Rubiales’ It All Seems Horribly Like Art For Art Sake, Self-Indulgent And Counterproductive @LuisRubiales17.
TO.P (1.20) Talking To Radio 5 Live Sport Upon Her Return From The World Cup Last Summer, Fellow Lioness Ella Toone Agreed With Jess Carter That The Rubiales Kiss-Gate Incident Would Not Have Happened In The Mens Game. And That It Overshadowed The Success of The Spanish Women’s Team (La Roja Fem) Because Everybody Was Primarily Talking About Him Instead of Their Achievements.
Proving Openminded With A Positive Attitude To Women’s Sport, Football Team Owners Serena Williams And Husband Reddit Owner Alexis Ohanian @Equal Playing Field Initiative.
Lioness JC Says Narrowmindedness Is The Problem Irrespective of Gender, When It Comes To Equality In Women’s Football And Whilst They May Be Out There, The Pool of People Willing To Step Up, Go The Extra Mile, Understand And Learn A Bit Better, Is Maybe Small.
Comment: Quality Not Quantity Is Most Important And This Power Couple Seem To Be On The Right Track For Making Future Improvements That Could Make A Big Impact. @serenawilliams @alexisohanian @weareangelcityfc
Investing In Women’s Sport
Isn’t Just Good For Society
It’s Damn Good Business
Alexis Ohanian Sr. Co-Founder of Reddit
Husband of Serena And Father To Daughter Alexis Ohanian Jr And Her Little Sister
The Rubiales Unravelled Timeline Continued
But Despite His Attempt Earlier This Year In January To Use Art For Art Sake And Grant Himself Artistic Licence To Push His Narrative About His Purported Innocence, Rubiales Continues To Reap The Fallout From His Behaviour At That Fateful Medal Ceremony. Further To Our Reporting of Events Up Until The End of August 2023 Here Is A Timeline of Further Events Since Then.
Monday September 4th 2023 Jenni Hermoso Submitted A Formal Legal Complaint To The National Prosecutors Office Against Luis Rubiales For Sexual Assault & Coercion.
Tuesday September 5th 2023 – (The Next Day After Submitting Her Complaint) Hermoso Gave Evidence At An Investigatory Hearing At The Spanish Prosecutor’s Office Wherein She Testified That She And Those Close To Her Suffered Constant And Repeated Pressure From Rubiales And His People To Say She Consented To The Unconsented Kiss Witnessed By The World.
On The Same Day (Tuesday September 5th 2023) RFEF Announces That It Has Terminated Its Relationship With The Women’s National Team Coach Jorge Vilda “in one of the first renewal measures announced by President Pedro Rocha.” (rocha Was Only Acting President At The Time, Following FIFA’s Ninety Day Rubiales Suspension, On Saturday August 26th 2023). Vilda Protested To Channel ‘Cadena Ser‘ That He Did Not Deserve Nor Understand His Dismissal. Nonetheless He Was Replaced By Assistant Coach Montse Tome Who Now Becomes The Team’s First Ever Female Coach.
Again On The Same Day, RFEF Also Issue An Apology “To The The Football World And Society” And Confirm The Investigation Launched August 28th 2023 Is Ongoing With A View To Such Events Never Happening Again (Events Outlined In TheOrator.Press Back Page: The Sport Port August 2023 Issue) .
Also On The Same Day @Alvaro Morata Captain of The Mens Spanish Team, Supported By Fellow Team Captains César Azpilicueta, Rodri and Marco Asensio Issues A Statment Saying “Spanish soccer must be a driving force for respect, inspiration, inclusion and diversity, and must set an example with its behaviour both on and off the field.”
Friday September 8th 2023 – Spain’s National Prosecutor Officially Filed A Complaint Against Rubiales (At Spain’s High Court) On Friday Further To Hermoso Officially Filing A Complaint With The Prosecutor On Monday And Testifying On Tuesday. The High Court Must Now Decide Whether To Accept or Decline The Complaint.
Dual Heritage Spanish-Equitorial Guinea Fang, Barcelona & Spain Womens Team Player @Salma Paralleulo Is Part of The World-Cup Winning Spanish Women’s Squad Signed Up To Zero-Tolerance of Gender Inequality. She Was Named Best Young Player of The World Cup Tournament 2023
A Sunday Night Come Monday Morning Scenario
On Sunday Night September 10th 2023 (Three Weeks To The Day Since The Medal Ceremony) Rubiales Submits A Letter of Resignation From His Role As President of The Federation And Vice President of UEFA To Acting President Pedro Rocha Junco. Monday September 11th 2023 RFEF Confirm Receipt of The Rubiales Resignation Letter And Declare That “The Procedure Described In Article 38.1 of The Current Federation Statutes Is Inititated (Spanish Sports Law Is Made Up of A Series of Different Articles).
In His Reluctant Resignation Letter Rubiales Made No Apology (This Time), He Bemoaned The Fact That Football Higher Powers Would Not Allow Him To Continue To Work In Football No Matter How Much He Wanted To, And Said His Family (Including His Daughters) Persuaded Him It Was The Best Thing To Do For Them, Him And Spanish Football. Suffice to Say Spain Seeks To Host The Men’s World Cup In 2030.
On The Same Day (Monday September 11th 2023) Judge Francisco de Jorge of Spain’s National High Court Confirmed That A Complaint Filed By The Prosecutor’s Office For Crimes of Sexual Assault And Coercion Made Against Former RFEF President, Luis Rubiales, Had Been Received And Accepted By The National Court. And That It Has Now Made An Order Requesting Video Footage of The Medal Ceremony Recorded By Channel RTVE, of Locker Room Celebrations Obtained By El Pais Newspaper And AS, As Well As Celebrations on The Team Bus, From La Vanguardia Newspaper.
“Spanish soccer must be a driving force for respect, inspiration, inclusion and diversity,
Alvaro Morata
and must set an example
with its behaviour
both on and off the field.”
Tuesday september 5th 2023
TheOrator.Press ~ A New, Monthly, Online, Independent Magazine 