SPAIN STAR LAMINE YAMAL CONDEMNS 'INTOLERABLE' ANTI-MUSLIM CHANTS IN EGYPT DRAW AS POLICE LAINCH INVESTIGATION

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Barcelona star Lamine Yamal has condemned the "intolerable" anti-Muslim chants that marred Spain’s goalless draw with Egypt at the RCDE Stadium. The 18-year-old, who is a practising Muslim, labelled the perpetrators "ignorant" and "racist" after local police launched a formal investigation. 

Police investigation launched

Per ESPN, the Mossos, a local strand of police in Barcelona, have confirmed a probe into "Islamophobic and xenophobic" chanting that occurred during Tuesday’s international friendly. Spectators aimed derogatory songs at the visiting side while also whistling during the Egyptian national anthem and halftime prayers. Although the chants were not specifically directed at Yamal, the teenage winger was deeply affected by the hostile atmosphere, and has taken to social media to vent his disgust.

Yamal issues statement

Taking to Instagram to address the situation, Yamal reaffirmed his faith and expressed his disappointment at the lack of respect shown toward his religion. The Spain star posted: "I am Muslim, Alhamdulillah. Yesterday at the stadium the chant of 'the one who doesn't jump is a Muslim' was heard. I know I was going for the rival team and it wasn't something personal against me, but as a Muslim person it doesn't stop being disrespectful and something intolerable. I understand that not all fanatics are like this, but to those who sing these things: using a religion as a mockery in a field leaves you ignorant and racist people. Football is to be enjoyed and encouraged, not to disrespect people for who they are or what they believe in. With that being said, thank you to the people who came to cheer us on, see you at the World Cup."

Catalonia sports minister speaks out

Catalonia’s sports minister, Berni Alvarez, has echoed Yamal's sentiments, describing the events as a "massive step backwards" for Spanish football while pledging to support the Barcelona forward.

He told reporters: "It's normal that he's affected by what happened. We will try and support him if we can make contact with him. What happened was deplorable. It's an extremely serious issue which we absolutely condemn. It's a massive step backwards. The sensation is everything had been planned. Those chanting came to the game to spout hate speech. I doubt many of those involved had any connection to the world of sport. The reaction arrived late and was not sufficient."

Espanyol unhappy with 'smear campaign'

Meanwhile, Barca's La Liga rivals Espanyol, who play their home games at the RCDE Stadium, have issued their own statement condemning the scenes in Tuesday's game, but have also insisted that no blame should be attributed to their fanbase.

"RCD Espanyol also wish to express our deep displeasure at the gratuitous and widespread smear campaign that has been targeted against our fans in the past few hours," the statement read. "It is worth remembering that the match, organised by the RFEF, brought together supporters of the Spain national team from very diverse geographical and footballing backgrounds. Therefore, it is profoundly unfair, excessive, and disproportionate to attribute these behaviours to the RCDE Espanyol fanbase, which, throughout its more than 125-year history, has been characterised by its diversity, respect, and commitment to the values ​​of sport.

"The club do not and will not accept having their reputation called into question by the isolated actions of a small group of people who represent neither the club nor our fanbase. RCD Espanyol emphasise our firm commitment to the fight against all forms of discrimination, and will continue working to ensure that the RCDE Stadium remains a safe, inclusive, and respectful place for everyone."

Potential FIFA sanctions

A source has told ESPN that Spain could face potential FIFA sanctions, which could overshadow their 2026 World Cup campaign as they prepare to compete in Group H alongside Cape Verde, Saudi Arabia, and Uruguay. The RFEF must now address these issues while prioritising Yamal’s welfare before the squad travels to North America for their opening fixtures.

- Adhe Makayasa

LALIGA PULLS OUT OF MIAMI FIXTURE CITING 'UNCERTAINTY' IN SPAIN

 

October 21 – Spain’s LaLiga has officially cancelled its proposed Villareal-Barcelona regular season match in Miami on December 20 after “conversations” with its US promoter Relevent Sports, and citing “uncertainty that has arisen in Spain over the past few weeks”.

Opposition to playing the game in Miami had met with widespread condemnation from football’s stakeholders globally and in the last few days from the Spanish player’s union and individual players who said the match would have damaged the competitive integrity of the league in favour of Barcelona as Villareal is a tough away game for any team in the league.

In a remarkable attack on the governing bodies of countries outside Spain, LaLiga said: “The project fully complied with all federative regulations and did not affect the integrity of the competition, as confirmed by the competent institutions responsible for ensuring compliance, which opposed it for other reasons.”

The statement is at best a mis-leading half truth, in that the game was never fully sanctioned. While the Spanish FA (RFEF) meekly gave its sanction and UEFA ‘reluctantly’ did the same, neither the US Soccer Federation (USSF)or Concacaf, the two most important governing bodies covering the game in the US, where LaLiga and Relevent needed local permission to play, had not given their go-ahead.

LaLiga president Javier Tebas had said to the world’s media at a conference 10 days ago that getting the sanctions was purely an administrative process.

His comment was immediately met with a terse statement from Concacaf saying that the application had to go through due process and that it was conducting a review that involved consulting all of its stakeholders, as well as those in other regions. That process would be completed before any decision would be made, said Concacaf.

While the USSF had remained silent on sanctioning, Concacaf had neither declined or approved the application but had remained focussed on football’s eco-system both in its own region and member nation, where focus is on growing domestic leagues, their clubs and regional club competition. Thought was also being given to the impact and future consequences for stakeholders outside the Concacaf region.

UEFA’s decision to sanction the match was made on the basis that FIFA’s rules lacked legal clarity and hence felt pressured into sanctioning a game they didn’t want to. FIFA is currently undergoing a legal review of its statutes in this respect.

In its statement LaLiga also pointed the finger at the Premier League and UEFA and its Champions League (for which UEFA currently has Relevent as its new sales partner), saying that they “continue to expand their reach and ability to generate revenue, initiatives like this are essential to ensure the sustainability and growth of Spanish soccer.”

The difference is that neither the Premier League or UEFA are trying to play games in the US backyard for commercial gain. LaLiga is essentially admitting that it has been unable to compete on an equal footing commercially with its own product in the broadcast media market.

“Holding an official match outside our borders would have been a decisive step in the global growth of the competition, strengthening the international presence of clubs, the positioning of players, and the visibility of Spanish soccer in a strategic market such as the United States…” said LaLiga.

“Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.”

LaLiga had put tickets on pre-sale for the December fixture. No figures have been released on how many tickets have been sold, but the assumption is that it is not enough to continue to battle through the discontent of football’s North American and global opinion.

Renouncing such opportunities hinders the generation of new income, limits clubs’ capacity to invest and compete, and reduces the international projection of the entire Spanish soccer ecosystem.

In a separate statement, Relevent said it had informed La Liga of the need “to postpone” the match, arguing that the uncertainty in Spain had left “insufficient time to properly execute an event of this scale”.

For Relevent it is perhaps a fortunate end to what was increasingly looking like an uncomfortable problem, and a potentially growing conflict of interest, taking into account their new Champions League contract with UEFA

- Paul Nicholson 

DANI OLMO SAGA: BARCELONA'S HANS FLICK CONFIDENT OF REGISTRATION

Barcelona coach Hansi Flick said he remains confident that Dani Olmo and Pau Víctor will be able to play for the club again this season.

LaLiga and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced Saturday they had rejected Barça's request to re-register the duo after the Catalan club missed a Dec. 31 deadline to prove they were compliant with the league's financial fair play (FFP) rules.

Olmo, a €60 million ($61.9m) summer signing from RB Leipzig, has a clause in his contract which would allow him to leave for free if he remains unregistered for the second half of the season, but Flick says the Spain international is committed to Barça.

"I have the confidence that the club will do it," Flick said in a news conference after Saturday's 4-0 Copa del Rey win at Barbastro, a match which Olmo and Víctor were both forced to miss.

"This morning I spoke with Dani and Dani wants to play for Barça. We need him and also Pau Víctor. They are very good players. We need both of them. We have to wait. This is the only thing we can do now."

A brace from Robert Lewandowski and goals from Eric García and Pablo Torre helped Barça book their place in the Copa round of 16, with Flick insisting the drama around Olmo and Víctor will not affect the team.

Dani Olmo would be available to leave for free if he remains unregistered. Getty Images

"I think everyone wants that both of them are back because they are important players for our offence," he added.

"Today we played very focused. We played like we want. There was nothing to see or to feel that the team suffered about that. We are professional, we have to play and the team did really good."

Defender Ronald Araújo, who made his first appearance of the season against Barbastro, also expressed his desire for Barça to find a fix to the Olmo and Víctor situation as soon as possible.

"It's left a bad taste because they are our teammates," he told reporters. "We hope the club can resolve the issue. Meanwhile, we now have to turn our attention to Wednesday's Supercopa [semifinal] against Athletic Club."

Araújo had not played since injuring his hamstring representing Uruguay at the Copa América last July, but he managed to complete 90 minutes on Saturday.

"I'm really happy to win the game, but also on a personal level to be back and play 90 minutes," he added.

"I didn't know if I could play the whole match. The coach was asking me if I felt OK [to continue] and I did. It's important to build up minutes. I'm delighted."

Flick said Lamine Yamal should also have recovered from an ankle injury to feature in the Supercopa next week, while Raphinha will travel to Saudi Arabia with the squad despite missing the Barbastro game with a "small problem."

Barça meet Athletic in Jeddah on Wednesday, with the winners facing either Real Madrid or Mallorca in the final on Jan. 12.

- Sam Marsden and Moises Llorens

BARCELONA REQUEST TO KEEP PLAYING OLMO AND VICTOR IS REJECTED

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Barcelona's Dani Olmo and Pau Victor will be unable to play for the LaLiga side in the second half of the season, Spanish football authorities said on Saturday after rejecting the club's latest attempt to extend their registrations.

Midfielder Olmo, 26, who helped Spain to European Championship glory last year, has been an integral part of Barcelona's team this season, while forward Victor, 23, has been largely restricted to substitute appearances.

Barca are third in LaLiga, five points behind leaders Real Madrid.

They signed Olmo from RB Leipzig on a six-year deal in August for around 55 million euros ($56.7 million) and Victor in July, but only registered them for the first half of the season due to LaLiga wage cap considerations.

The Spanish football federation (RFEF) and LaLiga said in a joint statement they had rejected a request to register them both for the second half.

"The Monitoring Committee agrees not to grant the prior approval or the definitive licence requested by FC Barcelona for the players Daniel Olmo Carvajal and Pau Victor Delgado," the RFEF said.

Two courts had previously rejected the club's requests.

LaLiga had previously welcomed the legal rulings, saying additional spending was allowed so long-term injuries do not weaken a team but the rule should not be exploited to allow the registration of players whose salaries exceed the limit.

LaLiga had previously welcomed the legal rulings, saying additional spending was allowed so long-term injuries do not weaken a team but the rule should not be exploited to allow the registration of players whose salaries exceed the limit.

The club had managed to register Olmo after long-term injuries kept first-team players out of the squad for months, allowing Barca to allocate a portion of wages to register the player who was joint top scorer at Euro 2024.

Spanish media reported that Barcelona plan to file a complaint to the Spanish government via the Administrative Sports Court (CSD) in a last-ditch attempt to allow the pair to play.

There was no immediate comment from Barcelona.

Olmo and Victor were not named in the squad for Barca's Copa del Rey match against fourth-tier side Barbastro on Saturday.

"Everyone wants Dani Olmo and Pau Victor back," Barcelona coach Hansi Flick told a press conference following his team's 4-0 win .

"We played focused, we played well. I haven't seen the team suffer because of this situation... We have to be professional and accept (it)."

Both players' profiles have been removed from the LaLiga website.

It is not the first time Barca have failed to register a key player. The Catalan let Lionel Messi leave in 2021 even though the Argentine forward wanted to extend his stay at the club where he started his career.

($1 = 0.9701 euros)

- Reuters 

VALENCIA-REAL MADRID AMONG GAMES POSTPONED AMID FATAL FLOODS

Real Madrid's LaLiga match at Valencia on Saturday has been postponed because of the deadly flash floods in Spain.

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announced on Thursday that all games this weekend in the Valencian region will be rescheduled as per LaLiga's request.

The Spanish government declared three days of mourning with at least 150 people dead and "many people" missing following the worst natural disaster to hit Spain this century.

Saturday's LaLiga game between Villarreal and Rayo Vallecano and Levante's second division home game against Malaga on Monday have also been postponed.

Valencia's city centre was affected by the flash floods. Alex Juarez/Anadolu via Getty Images

Two games in Liga F have also been cancelled, including Real Madrid's game against Levante.

LaLiga and its clubs pledged on Thursday to help raise funds for the Red Cross to support those affected by the flash floods, publicising a campaign during match broadcasts this weekend and through their social media accounts.

"Spain's professional football joins the condolences and expresses its solidarity with the families of the victims and the missing," LaLiga said in a statement on Thursday.

Real Madrid announced they would also collaborate with the Red Cross and donate €1 million ($1.09 million).

"The Real Madrid Foundation and the Red Cross have today launched a fundraising campaign to support those affected by the storm and the club have decide to support this campaign with a donation of one million euros to help the many families who are in a critical situation and need all our help and solidarity," the Spanish champions said in a statement.

Earlier this week, the RFEF rescheduled Valencia's Copa del Rey match at Parla that was due to be played on Wednesday.

Before Valencia's training session on Wednesday, the squad observed a moment of silence at its training center in honour of the victims. Some of the team's players were absent because of the transportation difficulties caused by the storms.

The club said they joined forces with the Valencia Food Bank, and their stadium became "a deposit for food and basic needs."

"Mestalla will be at the service of the city to cope with the emergency caused by the [floods]."

The death toll was expected to rise as an unknown number of people were still missing. Search efforts were ongoing and some vehicles with bodies were yet to be reached. The aftermath of the floods from late Tuesday to early Wednesday looked eerily similar to the damage left by a hurricane or tsunami, with cars piled up alongside uprooted trees and downed power lines.

LaLiga announced that a minute's silence will be observed ahead of all games to be played this weekend to show respect for the victims of the devastating flash floods.

Madrid are second in LaLiga, six points adrift of Barcelona, who host Espanyol in Sunday's city derby.

Information from The Associated Press contributed to this report.

- Adriana Garcia

GERARD PIQUÉ UNDER INVESTIGATION OVER SAUDI SUPER CUP DEAL

Former Barcelona star Gerard Piqué is under formal investigation by a Madrid court. Jose Manuel Alvarez/Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

 A Spanish judge has placed former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué under official investigation for his alleged involvement in illegal payments in the relocation of Spain's Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.

Judge Delia Rodrigo concluded there were indications of wrongdoing in the deal between Piqué's company Kosmos and the Spanish football federation (RFEF), according to a court document.

According to the court documents, former RFEF president Luis Rubiales, Saudi government-owned Sela Sport Company and Piqué signed an agreement in 2019 in which Piqué's company would receive €40 million as a "success bonus" for the games being held in Saudi Arabia each year.

"The facts under investigation in the present proceedings originate from possible illegalities with criminal implications in contracting or agreements," Rodrigo wrote.

Piqué did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

The court has been investigating since June 2022 whether Rubiales committed a crime of improper management when the RFEF agreed with Piqué's Kosmos firm to move the tournament.

In March, police searched the RFEF's headquarters and an apartment belonging to Rubiales and arrested seven people in a corruption probe over the multimillion-euro deal.

Rubiales, who has denied any wrongdoing, was told he was a suspect in the probe by police in April after returning from spending two months in the Dominican Republic on what he described as a business trip.

Piqué, who played for Barcelona in Super Cup matches in Saudi Arabia, was originally awarded an annual payment of $4 million ($4.33 million) over six years. This was later extended by four years.

Pedro Rocha, who at the time was head of the RFEF's economic department, failed to call a meeting of the economic commission as he should have done to analyse the four-year extension of the deal.

Rocha was elected president of the RFEF last month despite being put under investigation after testifying as a witness in court and saying he had no knowledge of or responsibility for any of the alleged crimes being investigated in the case.

- Reuters 

RFEF TO PROBE REAL MADRID REF CLIPS AFTER SEVILLA COMPLAINT

Vinícius Júnior argues with the referee during Real Madrid's draw with Valencia last Saturday. Photo by Jose Hernandez/Anadolu via Getty Images

 The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has opened an investigation into Real Madrid TV's broadcasting of videos criticising referees ahead of games, Sevilla said on Thursday.

Sevilla filed a complaint on Feb. 24 before the two clubs met in LaLiga at the Bernabéu, claiming Real Madrid TV had undertaken a "campaign of persecution and harassment" against the referees due to take charge of the match.

Madrid's club television channel has regularly broadcast criticism of referees and their decisions before and after matches this season.

"The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), via its Judges and Disciplinary Committee, has informed us that they have opened an investigation into Real Madrid, following our complaint of the videos broadcast by Real Madrid TV in the build-up to games," Sevilla said in a statement on Thursday.

"Ahead of our match at the Santiago Bernabéu, Real Madrid TV released a video scrutinising referees Isidro Díaz de Mera and Pablo González Fuertes, the referee and VAR respectively chosen for the match.

"The club decided to take action in light of the fact that these practices, which have been a recurring theme in recent times, including before a league meeting earlier this season between the two teams, are seriously damaging to Spanish football and call the integrity of the competition and its officiating body into question.

"Furthermore, above all, this malpractice seeks to influence individual matchday referees, as the videos attempt to create an image of lack of professionalism and anti-Madrid bias, right before fixtures are scheduled to be played. This has major repercussions for matches played at the Santiago Bernabéu, as tens of thousands of Madrid fans arrive convinced that an anti-Madrid bias exists amongst referees, which increases tension significantly and creates an unfair level of pressure on them."

Sevilla are the first club to register a formal complaint over Real Madrid TV's videos, although others have also expressed their unhappiness at the practice, accusing Madrid of seeking to influence officials.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta described Real Madrid TV's videos as "shameful" in an interview with Catalan radio station RAC1 last month, calling on the RFEF to "get involved" in the matter.

Barca coach Xavi Hernandez agreed, claiming that "[the videos] influence the competition completely, week after week."

Luis Media Cantalejo, the head of Spain's refereeing body, has complained that Real Madrid TV are "putting pressure" on referees.

"There's no sport, no team in the world that does this," he told COPE radio. "What's happening with this TV channel has never happened anywhere else. What they're doing seems absolutely negative to me. I've never seen it in 40 years of refereeing."

The latest incident that left Madrid unhappy with a official's decision-making came in their 2-2 draw at Valencia on Saturday in LaLiga, when referee Jesus Gil Manzano blew the full-time whistle seconds before Jude Bellingham had the ball in the net for what have been the winning goal.

Coach Carlo Ancelotti, who has defended Real Madrid TV's videos as "freedom of expression," called the decision "unpredecented."

In a speech to the club's AGM last year, Madrid president Florentino Perez called for government intervention in Spain's refereeing body, saying "urgent" reforms were needed to safeguard "the well-being of Spanish football."

- Alex Kirkland and Rodrigo Faez

SPAIN'S EX-FA CHIEF RUBIALES GETS THREE-YEAR BAN OVER KISS SCANDAL

Reuters 

Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) who faces accusations of sexual assault in Spain, has been banned from all football-related activities for three years, FIFA said on Monday.

World soccer's governing body initially suspended Rubiales for three months following the allegedly non-consensual kiss he gave to Spain player Jenni Hermoso after the Women's World Cup final on Aug. 20.

"The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has banned Luis Rubiales ... from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, having found that he acted in breach of article 13 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code," FIFA said in a statement.

Rubiales' lawyers declined to comment on the decision.

ARCHIVE PARITY

The "Me Too" moment in Spanish football had been building for nearly a decade as female players tried to combat sexism and achieve parity with their male peers.

That included two dressing-room rebellions that ended the international careers of several players.

They finally accomplished change thanks to an "exhausting" month-long standoff that ended in September when the RFEF agreed to make "immediate and profound changes" to its structure, the players said.

FIFA's decision means Rubiales, 46, can no longer run for the RFEF presidency or General Assembly under Spain's new electoral regime for sports federations presented last month by the country's National Sports Council (CSD).

CSD rules make ineligible anyone who has been sentenced by the disciplinary bodies of national or international federations or sports tribunals.

Rubiales resigned in September saying his position at the RFEF had become untenable. He had initially vowed not to stand down despite pressure from players, politicians and women's groups.

During his testimony to the court in the assault case, Rubiales denied Hermoso's accusations, according to the prosecutor's office. Rubiales has repeatedly said the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso says it was forced on her.

The investigating judge, who imposed a restraining order to prevent Rubiales from approaching Hermoso, also decided to expand the scope of the probe to include Jorge Vilda, the Spain squad's former coach who was sacked by interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha 10 days after FIFA suspended Rubiales from his post.

The coach was widely criticised for repeatedly applauding Rubiales during an emergency RFEF assembly in which the latter railed against "false feminism" and vowed not to resign.

"Mr Rubiales has been notified of the terms of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee’s decision today," FIFA said. "The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee."

- Fernando Kallas

SPAIN'S WOMEN PLAYERS TO END BOYCOTT AFTER FEDERATION COMMIT TO CHANGE

Reuters 

Spain's World Cup winning-squad agreed to end their boycott of the national team early on Wednesday after the country's football federation (RFEF) said it would make "immediate and profound changes" to its structure.

The decision was reached around 5 a.m. (0300 GMT) after more than seven hours of meetings at a hotel in Oliva, an hour from Valencia, involving the players, RFEF officials, the National Sports Council (CSD) and the women's players' union FUTPRO.

The players had said they would not represent Spain until there were further changes at the federation, deepening a crisis that started after former (RFEF) boss Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup presentation ceremony.

RESTRAINING ORDER REQUESTED AS EX-SPAIN BOSS TESTIFIES IN ASSAULT PROBE

Reutets

Spanish prosecutor1s on Friday requested a restraining order to prevent former soccer chief Luis Rubiales approaching national team player Jenni Hermoso, as he appeared in court to be investigated for sexual assault for kissing her on the lips.

The incident, which occurred at the medal ceremony after Spain's women's team won the World Cup in Sydney, Australia, on Aug. 20, has triggered a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society and prompted protests similar to the "Me Too" movement.

Rubiales, 46, insists the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso says it was forced on her.

If granted, the order would prevent Rubiales trying to contact her or coming within 500 metres of her.

LUIS RUBIALES: REGIONAL SPANISH FA BOSSES CALL ON PRESIDENT TO RESIGN OVER KISS

Regional representatives of the Spanish soccer federation (RFEF) have demanded the immediate resignation of the body's chief Luis Rubiales - but stopped short of calling for a motion of no confidence - for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the World Cup.

The Federation's move came as the situation has spiralled into a national row over women's rights, macho behaviour and sexual abuse with many acting ministers asking for Rubiales to leave.l94)98

Many of the federation representatives had applauded Rubiales when he announced on Friday he would not quit, but late on Monday asked him to step down and called for a restructuring of key positions in the federation "to allow for a new phase of management in Spanish football" with more gender equality.

SPANISH SOCCER FEDERATION TO HOLD URGENT MEETING OVER KISS SCANDAL

Reuters 

Spain's soccer federation will hold an urgent meeting on Monday as its president, Luis Rubiales, faces a FIFA suspension and a storm of criticism over allegations he gave a player an unwanted kiss on the lips after Spain won the Women's World Cup.

Rubiales has refused to resign over the incident with player Jenni Hermoso last Sunday in Sydney, saying the kiss was consensual. Players and a string of coaches on the women's squad are demanding he go, and the government also wants him out.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has called regional federations to the "extraordinary and urgent" meeting "to evaluate the situation in which the federation finds itself" following Rubiales' suspension, a RFEF spokesperson said on Sunday.

SOCCER'S LEADING BODY FIFA SUSPENDS SPANISH SOCCER CHIEF OVER KISS

Reuters 

Soccer's world governing body FIFA suspended Spanish federation chief Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months on Saturday as it investigates allegations he gave a player an unwanted kiss on the lips after Spain's women won the World Cup.

FIFA had opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales two days ago over the incident with player Jenni Hermoso last Sunday in Sydney that has caused an uproar among players and fans. Rubiales' suspension from national and international activities takes immediate effect, it said on Saturday.

Rubiales said he would use the probe to show his innocence.

SPANISH FEDERATION CHIEF SAYS HE WON'T RESIGN

Spanish football federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales refused to step down on Friday in the aftermath of his unsolicited kiss on the mouth of player Jenni Hermoso during celebrations after Spain's Women's World Cup victory.

The incident sparked outrage within and outside Spain, with many, including government ministers, players and coaches, demanding his resignation and forcing the federation to call an emergency assembly on Friday, where Rubiales said the kiss was consensual and he was the victim of 'social assassination'.

SPANISH FEDERATION CHIEF TO QUIT OVER KISS SCANDAL - REPORT

Reuters

Spanish football federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales plans to resign on Friday after FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against him over his unsolicited kiss on the mouth of player Jenni Hermoso during celebrations after Spain's Women's World Cup victory, Cadena Ser radio reported on Thursday.

Rubiales has been under fire after kissing Hermoso on the lips while handing the team their medals after they beat England 1-0 in the final in Sydney on Sunday.

The incident sparked outrage within and outside Spain, with many, including government ministers, demanding his resignation.

MUTINEERS SILENT AS SPAIN ENJOY'S WOMEN'S WORLD CUP TRIUMPH

Spain put aside months of turmoil and division to claim their first Women's World Cup title on Sunday, overcoming a player revolt that saw La Roja lose some of their best talent even before the tournament had kicked off.

One of the world's strongest and most exciting teams arrived without some key players but a talented group of youngsters showed the grit and skill required to put all the problems to one side and won Spain's first major trophy.

But as the victors celebrated amid a clamour for interviews from the world's media after their 1-0 win over England in Sydney there was no mention of team mates who remained at home.

SPAIN'S WORLD CUP HERO CARMONA LEARNS OF FATHER'S DEAT AFTER FINAL

Reuters 

Spain captain and World Cup final hero Olga Carmona found out after the match that her father had died, the Spanish FA (RFEF) said on Sunday.

Carmona scored a 29th-minute goal to earn Spain a 1-0 win over England as they secured their first Women's World Cup title.