Luis Rubiales, the man who was at the centre of a storm after kissing Spanish football team player Jenni Hermoso during the 2023 Women’s World Cup awards ceremony, was pelted by eggs by his own uncle while he was at an event to release his book “Matar a Rubiales” (Killing Rubiales). In Matar a Rubiales, the now former head of Spain’s soccer federation writes about his career spiralling after he was caught on camera kissing Hermoso during the 2023 Women’s World Cup awards ceremony. Spanish media outlets named the egg thrower as Luis Rubén Rubiales, an actor who has appeared in several domestic television shows.
A video that has now gone viral shows Rubiales was seated on a stool at the book launch event when a man from the crowd throws three eggs in his direction. A news report of the incident in The Associated Press noted that one egg “impacted on the back of his dark jacket, and another splattered against a screen behind him as he charged into the small audience.”
“A man entered who I later saw was my uncle, who is a troubled man, and always has been,” Rubiales told Spanish reporters about the incident. “He had some eggs and threw some at me, but I didn’t know what he had in his hands, and when I first saw him I thought he might be carrying a weapon.”
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Spanish police told The Associated Press they arrested the egg thrower. No motive was immediately given for the incident. A video shows a group of men in the audience grabbing the uncle immediately after he launched the eggs and escorting him away.
The former football federation chief also had a fall out with another uncle, Juan Rubiales, several years ago when Juan was working for him at the federation.
According to its publisher, Rubiales says he was the victim of a “conspiracy of different powers of Spanish public life” including the government and “the profitable world of feminism.” Rubiales maintains that he kissed Hermoso with her consent. However, earlier this year he was found guilty of sexual assault for the unsolicited kiss by a Spanish court.
Rubiales had faced a torrent of criticism from around the globe over his behavior at the Women’s World Cup final, including kissing Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the on-field trophy ceremony. (Reuters)
The incident had led to an uproar the world over. But initially, he refused to step down from his post. Eventually, he stepped down under immense pressure from the government, soccer officials, women players and fans.
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The 48-year-old is also under scrutiny by Spanish authorities probing his 2020 deal to move the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
(With inputs from The Associated Press)
