Sport Integrity Global Alliance (SIGA) chief executive Emanuel Macedo de Medeiros took a public stance on Luis Rubiales’ kiss with Jenny Hermoso on Thursday, calling the Spanish leader’s behavior “an abomination.”
As part of the Thinking Football Summit, at a conference whose purpose was to discuss the integrity of sports in various matters, the lawyer and leader of SIGA was surprised by the attitude of the president of the Spanish Football Federation, whom he knows personally, and was adamant, stating that in this situation “there are no two sides “.
“I grew up in a culture where we were taught to respect all people, of all genders and races. This is true in all areas, including sports. I have known Luis Rubiales for many years. What happened surprised me and saddened me because it shouldn’t have happened. No person with power can take advantage, even if unknowingly, to do something like this,” he sentenced.
The leader was dissatisfied with the lack of decisions on the part of the justice and guardianship of sports, which he considers passive and condoning this kind of situation.
“What happens to the players at the US Championships, to the gymnastics… What lessons have we learned? What solutions exist to prevent the recurrence of these horrendous crimes and to hold the people who commit them accountable? debate? about honesty for everyone who deals with young athletes or silent victims of violence?”
Emanuel Macedo de Madeiros also said that this case is no different from similar ones that he already knows about, in that it was an act committed “at gunpoint”, in front of “millions of people”, only a feature.
“All subsequent episodes were equally sad to watch. The woman was in a vulnerable position, it was a trauma, a shock, and no one prepared her for such a situation. I’ve seen it happen in countless situations, this time it was in front of millions, under streetlights. […] We take these situations very seriously. There are no two sides to this story. It’s an abomination,” he concluded.
After Spain won the Women’s World Cup final in Sydney on August 20, Rubiales kissed player Jenny Hermoso on the lips, which the player later said was not agreed, contrary to the federation president’s claims.
Earlier, on the stadium bench, Rubiales touched his own genitals to celebrate Spain’s victory.
These two behaviors brought him complaints from the Spanish government to the Administrative Court for Sport, which decided to initiate disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales and remove FIFA from the position of president of the Spanish federation for 90 days.
The second Thinking Football Summit, an event organized by the League of Portugal, will take place from today to Saturday in Porto with several discussion panels covering various aspects of the sport, bringing together “industry professionals, companies, fans and students”. “.