Rubiales Isolated as Spanish Football Chiefs Demand Resignation

  • Regional heads were key source of federation chief’s support
  • Rubiales still enjoys backing from his hunger-striking mother
Rubiales during the extraordinary meeting of the General Assembly of the Spanish Football Federation in Madrid, on Aug. 25.Source: Royal Spanish Football Federation/Getty Images
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Spanish football president Luis Rubiales lost one of his last bastions of support after top officials in the federation he heads called for him to resign after kissing a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup final.

The heads of the federation’s regional bodies withdrew their support after an emergency meeting on Monday in a scandal over gender inequality, which has soured the country’s victory. The next development could come on Tuesday when a Spanish sports court is expected to rule on a government complaint that could empower Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez’s administration to suspend Rubiales.