On Thursday, a man threw an egg at Luis Rubiales, former president of Spain’s Royal Football Federation, who was convicted of sexual assault, during the launch of his book “Matem Rubiales”.
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A video circulating on X shows a man interrupting an event at the Evenize space and throwing three eggs at Rubiales, shouting “thugs.” The former leader managed to evade and advance towards the attackers, but was restrained by those on the scene.
The assailant was apprehended by police and removed from the room, and the presentation continued without incident.
The attacker was Rubiales’ uncle.
After the incident, Luis Rubiales himself said that the man was his uncle and father’s younger brother, also called Luis Rubiales, and that he recognized him immediately. He said the relative “was always a troublemaker.” The man, identified by police as Luis Rubén Rubiales López, was arrested on suspicion of property damage after breaking a screen worth 20,000 euros during the act.
convicted of sexual assault
In his book, Rubiales blames the media and the alleged political conspiracy that led to his departure from the federation after he was convicted of sexual assault for forcing a kiss on player Jeni Hermoso.
Rubiales was fined $12,500 at first instance and later on appeal for kissing a player without her consent during the Women’s World Cup trophy presentation ceremony in Sydney on August 20, 2023.
In more than 500 pages, including photographs and 50 documents, the former player, currently suspended by FIFA until 2026 for the Hermoso scandal, recalls how RFEF’s income rose from 141 million euros when he became president to more than 400 million euros, due to factors such as the Spanish Super Cup held in Saudi Arabia.
Rubiales also admitted that the “fleeting kiss” with Hermoso was a mistake, attributing it to the euphoria of the moment and the tension built up after months of exhaustion caused by the rebellion of the players of the women’s team “Las 15” against then coach Jorge Virda.
During preparations for the launch, he declared on his show El Chiringuito that the kiss would have been “consensual,” a claim Hermoso denied and also dismissed Spain’s judicial system.
“As president, I should have been calmer and more professional. No, I will not apologize to Jenni Hermoso, because I asked her and she agreed,” he reiterated. “I acknowledged my mistake in the box and apologized, but it’s unfair to turn this into a political issue,” he added in an interview with Marca newspaper.
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