Spain's acting prime minister greets World Cup champs, criticizes federation head for kissing player
Women's World Cup champions during an audience at the presidential palace on Tuesday and later slammed the head of the Spanish soccer federation for kissing a team member on the lips without her consent. «You have achieved something very important.
The girls who watch you see soccer as a place where they can develop athletically and personally,» Pedro Sanchez said while posing for a group photo with the soccer team in Madrid. «The 21st century will be the century of women on all fronts, and the century of effective equality between men and women.»
Sanchez said the team members will be awarded Spain's golden medal of sports achievement in honor of their 1-0 victory on Sunday in the final against England in Sydney, Australia.
Gender equality and women's rights have been cornerstones of Sanchez's leftist government.
But Spain's Women's World Cup success has been marred by the forced kiss on the lips that Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales gave to player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony following the final.
After claiming that those who criticized his kiss were «idiots and stupid people,» Rubiales was forced to apologize on Monday.
«What we saw is unacceptable,» Sanchez said later Tuesday. «And the apologies offered by Mr.
Rubiales are not sufficient, I would call them inappropriate, so he must continue taking further steps to clarify what we all saw.»
Rubiales accompanied the team and staff to the meeting with Sanchez, who greeted him with a handshake.
The forced kiss caused an immediate outcry both inside Spain and abroad. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz said Rubiales «has harassed and assaulted» a woman and called for his resignation.
The country's equality minister said it was an act of «sexual
