Ten years ago, Luis Rubiales led the Spanish Footballers’ Association (AFE) and played a central role in a landmark push for a collective agreement. The move aimed to secure timely salaries for players and to establish a fund capable of enforcing sanctions against non-compliance. On the surface, Rubiales appeared as a forceful union figure, yet beneath that exterior there were internal tensions and noteworthy conflicts. An issue arose when Tamara Ramos, then AFE’s Marketing Director, chose to pursue legal action against Rubiales. She would later become a visible advocate for players’ rights through Futbolistas On, a workers’ organization she helped found to defend footballers’ interests.
“Humiliations and Beatings”
During an appearance on Telecinco’s El Programa de Ana Rosa, Ramos described the situation with visible nerves, saying that Rubiales’ public actions surprised her less than his eventual admission of past conduct. She asserted that she had endured sustained insults and harm and refrained from repeating some details. At the time, Rubiales shared a professional platform with the then-current president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Getafe calls for Rubiales’ resignation: “Cannot continue as federation president for another minute”
Jenni Hermoso’s experiences, including a controversial kiss during a high-stakes moment, prompted Ramos to escalate her public denouncement of the treatment she endured. She recalled a moment on television when Rubiales reportedly made a dismissive remark that underscored a power dynamic she found deeply demeaning.
“His apology to Jenni is unfounded”
Ramos cited further instances in which Rubiales’ comments, directed at players, suggested a culture of invulnerability to accountability. She described questions about personal details in a context where women in football are already underrepresented, highlighting how fear of reprisals can deter reporting. The federation’s broader communications around the incident drew criticisms over misrepresentation, with some outlets framing the events in ways that Ramos believed minimized the impact on the player involved. A subsequent video release by Rubiales attempting to contextualize the situation did little to reassure fans and officials who expected a more transparent, credible response.
“I didn’t want to pay unemployment benefits”
Ramos recalled leaving the federation to pursue an agreement, describing the challenges of resigning with young children at home. She argued that the official explanation for her departure did not reflect the true circumstances and noted that the decision to take legal action was necessary to secure her livelihood. She characterized the speech as political rhetoric rather than a genuine apology, suggesting it served to justify actions she viewed as harmful. The exchanges touched on broader issues of gender bias and the persistence of sexism in football, with Ramos calling for more women to hold leadership roles in the sport. She emphasized that, during her harassment experience, a number of colleagues advised reporting the misconduct but that the response from the system remained insufficient. She described the environment as one where power could be exerted with limited accountability, underscoring the ongoing challenge of changing entrenched practices within the sport.