FIFA has provisionally suspended the Luis Rubiales, the head of Spain's national football association, almost a week after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso allegedly without her consent after the team won the Women's World Cup.
"The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee... has decided today to provisionally suspend Mr Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level," FIFA said in a statement on Saturday.
The action was taken to preserve "the fundamental rights" of Hermoso.
FIFA also ordered Rubiales and the Spanish football federation not to contact Hermoso or those around her.
The suspension period will initially last for 90 days, pending the outcome of disciplinary proceedings that FIFA opened against Rubiales on Thursday.
The Spanish football federation later said Rubiales would defend himself against the suspension.
"Luis Rubiales has stated that he will legally defend himself in the competent bodies, he fully trusts FIFA and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defense so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven," the federation said in a statement.
The entire women's team and many more players said the would no longer represent Spain until Rubiales steps down.
Spanish football federation threatens legal action
The suspension comes after the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) threatened to take legal action against Hermoso.
In a statement published late on Friday, it said it would take "as many legal actions as necessary to defend the honor of the President of the RFEF." Rubiales meanwhile said this week that he considered himself the target of a "social assassination."
It said that it had attempted to contact Hermoso but was unsuccessful in receiving a response.
"In a state governed by the rule of law, as [Rubiales] has argued, opinions are countered with facts and evidence and lies are refuted in court," it said. It did not specify what the legal action would consist of.
The RFEF said that the federation would prove that claims that had been "spread either in [Hermoso's] name [...] or by the player herself" were "lies."
In its statement, the federation published three photos and claimed they showed that Hermoso had lifted Rubiales up during a hug, meaning that the federation boss "could not exert any force."
However, the photos were seemingly taken before Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips.
Earlier, Hermoso said: "I want to make clear that, as was seen in the images, I did not at any point consent to the kiss he gave me and of course I definitely did not try to lift up [Rubiales]."
The player also said that she felt "vulnerable and like the victim of an assault."
RFEF had claimed that Hermoso said that the kiss was a "mutual gesture" between her and Rubiales, which the player later said was falsely attributed to her.
"I won't tolerate anyone putting in doubt my word and even more so that anyone invents words that I did not say," she said.
Spanish sports council demands Rubiales' suspension
Spain's National Sports Council (CSD) submitted a request for the country's administrative court for sports (TAD) to suspend Rubiales over "unacceptable behavior."
The council said that it considered that Rubiales had abused his authority and had committed public acts that had infringed on dignity or decorum in sports.
"Both infringements are considered 'very serious,' which allows for the adoption of a measure of provisional suspension of Luis Rubiales as the president of the [RFEF]," it said in its petition.
Rubiales on Friday refused to resign following broad condemnation of his conduct. FIFA has also launched its own proceedings against the Spanish football boss.
"Mr Rubiales has not lived up to what was expected of him," CSD president Victor Francos said. "His reaction has disappointed us."
Player's union calls for action, FIFA launches probe
On Wednesday, the Spanish player's union, FUTPRO, issued a joint statement calling for action to be taken against Rubiales.
The England women's team, who lost against Spain in the World Cup final, expressed their solidarity on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter, saying: "We all stand with you Jenni Hermoso and all players of the Spanish team."
They also slammed the "Unacceptable actions allowed to happen by a sexist and patriarchal organisation. Abuse is abuse and we have all seen the truth."
Meanwhile, the head of Germany's FC Bayern Munich Karl-Heinz Rummenigge defended Rubiales' behavior, saying it was "absolutely OK," comments for which he drew widespread condemnation.
"When you become a world champion, you get emotional. And what he did there is, with all due respect, absolutely OK," he said, adding that he had "kissed men" when the team won the 2020 World Cup.
On Saturday, German Bundesliga fans condemned both Rubiales' behaviour and Rummenigge's defense of him.
During a match against Werder Bremen, Freiburg fans held held a banner that read: "A fist instead of a kiss for Rubiales and Rummenigge — sorry, with all due respect — absolutely OK."
Freiburg supporters also held another banner reflecting on the week-long saga.
"Balance of power played out perfectly again," it read. "Women win the World Cup — everyone's talking about toxic masculinity."
