The Royal Spanish Football Federation, whose president was himself Luis Rubiales, has finally released a few words of apology for the planetary scandal that broke out after his shameful behavior in the final of the World Cup in Sydney. This pardon is synchronized this Tuesday, September 5 with the dismissal of Jorge Vilda as coach of the women’s team.
Apologies come now, through Pedro Rocha, new interim president and successor to Rubiales. The RFEF considers it “essential” to request “the most sincere apologies to world football as a whole, football institutions (FIFA, UEFA, FN), and footballers for the totally unacceptable behavior of their highest institutional representative during the final and in subsequent moments, which do not respond at all to the values of the whole of Spanish society, its institutions, its representatives, its athletes and the leaders of Spanish sport”, reads the note. In Rocha’s statement, express mention is made of “the players of the Spanish Soccer Team and the English Soccer Team”, the agents involved in soccer and “the fans from all over the world”.
The federation has highlighted that Spanish society is “an example of tolerance and civility” and, also, “an example of sporting behavior and decorum”; and regrets that these values ”have been tarnished” by the actions of Luis M. Rubiales.
And he concludes “so that it is clear” that this position was that of Mr. Rubiales, not that of the RFEF: “We feel especially sorry and ashamed for the additional pain and anguish that this has caused.”
The pardon comes a day after Álvaro Morata and the other captains of La Roja have taken 15 days to describe Rubiales’ behavior as “unacceptable” after the victory of his teammates in the World Cup. A message of support launched this Monday the 4th, with a lot of delay, and that has known little.