Spain's government began a move to oust suspended soccer chief Luis Rubiales, who ended a week of silence on September 1 by insisting he was the victim of a smear campaign.
Rubiales has come in for a storm of criticism and calls for his resignation for his behavior during and after Spain's recent Women’s World Cup triumph in Sydney. He kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without consent and grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture.
On Friday, a Spanish government legal panel handling sports issues opened a formal case against Rubiales — president of the Spanish Football Federation and a vice president of UEFA — over his conduct that was televised globally, making him a national embarrassment.
