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Former Real Madrid star Isco recently offered his support to Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso after she was kissed by Luis Rubiales after the final (August 20).
Spanish FA Chief Luis Rubiales has been at the center of controversy due to his actions that took place after the World Cup final between Spain and England on August 20.
Spain won 1-0, securing World Cup glory, but Rubiales' actions overshadowed what should have been a joyous night. The 46-year-old first made an obscene gesture from his seat and then later grabbed and kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent for all the cameras to see.
The Spain international later admitted that she did not enjoy the senior executive's actions. Even though she has attempted to put the incident behind her by holidaying in Ibiza, many fans have called for the Spanish chief to resign.
Former Real Madrid star Isco also came to the defence of Jenni Hermoso. He told Informativos Telecinco (via GOAL):
"If it was not consented to, I think it is an abuse of power. I send my full support to Jenni."
The Spanish federation called an urgent meeting to discuss Rubiales' conduct. FIFA have also opened its own investigation, with rumors circulating that the disgraced president could resign soon.
Spanish FA Chief Luis Rubiales set to resign despite Jenni Hermoso defending him after kissing incident
According to Reuters (via India Today), Spanish FA Chief Luis Rubiales is set to resign after FIFA launched disciplinary proceedings due to him kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
The 33-year-old initially defended the Spanish president after the incident, claiming it was a 'spontaneous mutual gesture.' She said (via NDTV):
"It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings. The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude."
She added:
"A gesture of friendship and gratitude cannot be gone over so much, we have won a World Cup and we are not going to deviate from what is important."
Hermoso's stance changed after the kissing incident provoked mass outrage on social media. She later stated that such actions 'should never go unpunished'.
The 46-year-old has publicly apologized for his role in the incident but he is still expected to resign within the coming days. Sources indicate that Pedro Rocha and Pablo Lazano are the favorites to succeed him.
