Soccer-Spain's soccer chief Luis Rubiales announces resignation
(Reuters) -Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales, engulfed in a scandal over allegations he gave an unsolicited kiss to a player on the women's World Cup team last month, said on Sunday he had resigned from his position as president.
Rubiales announced his resignation in a statement in which he said his position had become untenable.
A Spanish prosecutor filed a complaint with the High Court against Rubiales last week for sexual assault and coercion over his allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of Jenni Hermoso.
The complaint, announced on Friday, describes how Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the mouth «without her consent» while holding her head with both hands after Spain defeated England to clinch victory in the World Cup in Sydney on Aug. 20.
Rubiales has said the kiss was mutual and consensual, and had until Sunday defied calls from players, government officials and others for him to resign.
Hermoso also lodged a criminal complaint against him last week.
Rubiales had also been suspended for three months from all football activities by FIFA pending an investigation by soccer's world governing body into his actions.
«After the rapid suspension carried out by FIFA, plus the rest of the proceedings opened against me, it is clear that I will not be able to return to my position,» Rubiales said in his statement.
«Insisting on waiting and clinging… is not going to contribute anything positive, neither to the Federation nor to Spanish football. Among other things, because there are de facto powers that will prevent my return,» he added.
He said he had also stepped down as a vice president of European soccer body UEFA.
Reuters reached out to Jenni Hermoso's representative for comment on Rubiales' resignation, and
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