Official Responses from FC Barcelona and Sevilla to RFEF President Rubiales
The Catalan football club issued a formal statement following the appearance of the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) at a high-level gathering in Las Rozas. Sevilla joined in with a stronger stance, also releasing an official statement that mirrored the seriousness of the situation and reinforced its rejection of the actions in question.
FC Barcelona released its statement after Luis Rubiales attended the Extraordinary General Assembly in Las Rozas. The club described Rubiales’s conduct during the World Cup celebrations as entirely inappropriate and unfortunate for Spain and for the sport. Barcelona underscored its commitment to women’s sport and to full equality across genders, stressing the need to safeguard the safety and dignity of women in sport. The club noted that Rubiales himself had acknowledged his mistake and apologized for his remarks, yet Barcelona emphasized that the events remained contrary to its values and principles. Sevilla subsequently issued a statement that was even more explicit, reaffirming its disapproval of Rubiales’s behavior and the broader implications for Spanish football.
FC Barcelona official statement
Following the Extraordinary Assembly of the RFEF, FC Barcelona observed that the explanations offered by the federation’s president, Mr. Rubiales, appeared to satisfy the members present who had the power to keep him in office. Nevertheless, the club reaffirmed that it found Rubiales’s conduct during the World Cup celebration for the Spanish women’s team to be completely inappropriate and unfortunate. Barcelona described these as regrettable incidents for which the president himself expressed remorse. In light of these facts, the club declared its unwavering support for women’s sport, equal opportunity for women and men in sport and society, and the safety and dignity of all participants. It affirmed that these standards and values guide its actions and governance.
Sevilla official statement
Sevilla FC, responding to the events involving the President of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, during the World Cup final’s celebrations and his subsequent remarks at the RFEF Assembly, outlined its position as follows:
– It condemns and rejects Rubiales’s behavior in the World Cup final with the national team player Jennifer Hermoso and rejects his explanations and reactions during the RFEF Assembly.
– It supports the measures that Hermoso regards as appropriate in response to these events.
– It condemns and rejects the inappropriate gestures made by Rubiales in the box following Spain’s world title achievement, expressing disapproval of such conduct.
– It states that Sevilla FC does not feel represented by the federation’s top leader and remains active in opposing the attitudes described. It asserts that leadership should promote respect and equality, values that Sevilla FC holds as part of its founding ethos.
– It calls for Rubiales to resign as the highest official in Spanish football so as to restore trust in the federation’s leadership and to prevent similar incidents in the future.
– It encourages reflection to ensure that acts which damage the image of football, and undermine equality, do not recur. It supports measures within the RFEF to uphold respect, unity, and equality, not only in football and sport but in society at large.
– It notes that Sevilla FC has previously opposed Rubiales’s management style, and that its chairman, José Castro, resigned from the RFEF board of directors in 2022 as part of its stance. It also states that the club hopes this incident will not affect the success and pride of the Spanish women’s national team’s World Cup triumph, which it congratulates once again.
Attribution: Goal