The hours of Luis Rubiales at the head of the Spanish Football Federation are numbered and if there is no other twist in the script, he will resign this Friday, when an extraordinary assembly of the Spanish Federation is scheduled. This has been communicated to the closest environment of him. The siege on Rubiales has been tightening and the political class has been joined by different football organizations, such as unions, the Basque territory, coaches such as Carlo Ancelotti and Rafa Benítez and all the professional football clubs, which have supported the initial position from Getafe and this afternoon they decided en bloc not to attend the extraordinary assembly called for tomorrow Friday and with which Luis Rubiales was looking for a boost, the start of his counteroffensive to save the position.
For the still president, everything has been complicated in the last hours. The forceful statement issued on Wednesday by Jenni Hermoso asking the Higher Sports Council (CSD) to take measures in her defense was joined this Thursday by FIFA, which opened a disciplinary file that could end in her disqualification or a financial fine.
Professional footballers have remained more on the sidelines but today the first criticisms have also appeared: “If it was not consented to, it is an abuse of power. I send all my support to Jenni, ”he wrote on her Isco networks, now at Betis, He also showed her support for the Pachuca player Borja Iglesias:“ We are with her ”.
For tomorrow's assembly in the Ciudad del Fútbol de Las Rozas, Luis Rubiales only had some of the territorial ones left. La Vasca no longer goes and many others meditate if they go and if they go what their position is.
This time Rubiales has backfired. At the time of writing these lines, it was not known whether the extraordinary assembly would be able to be held due to a lack of quorum. There are 140 assembly members and it was not clear that at least the 70 necessary to achieve a quorum would attend. The rosary of loss of adhesions to the president was increasing with the passing of the hours and picking up speed.
The meeting's agenda was not scheduled to discuss the resignation of the president. At first, Rubiales' strategy seemed to consist of waiting for the question and answer section to apologize for her behavior in the women's World Cup final. Later, realizing the seriousness of the facts, her entourage tried to convince him to explore punishing himself with a disqualification of two to six months.
Such a solution came too late. Anything other than the termination was not going to satisfy all those who have been asking for Rubiales' head for days.
And in any case, even if he obtained the support of the assembly, Luis Rubiales could not be considered saved. The Sports Minister, Miquel Iceta, said yesterday that “Rubiales' response has to be up to the task. We cannot look the other way and this government is not going to do it”.
Asked Miquel Iceta if Rubiales has to resign, he commented: “The decision can be made by the president of the Federation himself or by the Federation according to its protocols. In any case, the CSD, which is the head of Spanish sport, will make its decisions starting Monday, but we hope that those responsible for the Federation will be the ones to give an unequivocal gesture of equality and respect for women beforehand. ”.
These words were later endorsed by Félix Bolaños, the Minister of the Presidency, and by Víctor Francos, the president of the CSD.
Right now there are already four complaints filed against Luis Rubiales in the courts: by Miguel Ángel Galán, president of Cenafe, a training center for coaches; from La Liga F, from AFE and from a political party, Sumar.
Who can disqualify Luis Rubiales is the TAD, the Administrative Court of Sport, following a report from the CSD. He already did it in 2017 with Ángel Villar. Rubiales succeeded the Basque leader in May 2018. But the current president has decided to resign
