Luis Rubiales: Prosecutors seek 2.5-year jail term over World Cup kiss

[mangocrazy]

I completely agree that jail time for this offence is ridiculous, but the entitlement shown by Rubiales in this whole sorry affair is also ridiculous, as is his refusal to apologise. People really need to stop behaving like dicks, especially those in the public eye who are supposed to be an example to us, the great unwashed. I really don't have an answer to this kind of behaviour - how did these people get to be in such positions of power anyway? They were either appointed to these positions by people who (presumably) knew what kind of characters they were, or we the electorate voted them into power. It appears that systems of checks and balances are either broken or entirely absent, worldwide.

[Noggin]

I'd still like to hear the female perspective on this. Every comment on this thread so far has been from the male perspective.

Sorry, I’ve been busy! But also quite wary of joining in the ‘debate’

See why that may not be politically correct, they've just won a major trophy, he's excited, she's excited, it's a slightly foolish thing to do, but FFS jail time! Cone on!
Using that logic my old granny should've been in prison 50 times over for corrupting a youth every time I left her house

I'm not saying jail time is appropriate, I think it's completely disproportionate. Jenni made it clear that the kiss absolutely wasn't consensual but Rubiales refused to apologise, which led to his eventual forced resignation. I'd say that was punishment enough. Jail time is bonkers.

I’m pretty much of this mind. He couldn’t accept he’d done wrong and was sacked. Possibly fined? Yes, in my view it was assault - they aren’t in a club, on a night out etc, this is a boss’s boss inflicting a kiss on someone who is high on endorphins after winning the game and would be wary of reacting in public because of his position in the hierarchy

But jail time I think is too much. Maybe the threat is being suggested to try and make him think about it and understand that his actions are unacceptable - but I don’t think he should be in jail. (And let’s hope he doesn’t do worse next time)

FWIW @mangocrazy and @Yorick , my GF spent many years living in Spain too and she’s been quite shocked at the magnitude of the whole thing. Whilst she absolutely doesn’t defend Rubiales’ actions as he had no right to do what he did (and that he was more stupid to double down on the “consent” side of things rather than just apologise and admit fault), she said she’s seen far worse most weekends that she lived out there, men being introduced to women they previously might not have known through a mutual friend, or worse men greeting friends’ teenage kids even!!! Where does one draw the line…?

I really dislike the way some men in France do the bisous (each cheek kisses) to women they don’t know, but never once as anyone gone for a lips kiss or put his hands on my head and then gone to kiss my lips.

The bit in bold? The line is that he was her boss’s boss. She didn’t have a contract. They weren’t in a bar, club, party, they were at work. If she slapped him she might not get picked to play again. That’s the line. I would have thought just him being a high up boss would be the line to anyone, as per Mr Dazzle’s comment about work situations, no?

[Felix]

Mountain out a molehill. She looks like she did not give a shit and probably got pushed into making a complaint. She was cuddling him and patting his side.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Mountain out a molehill. She looks like she did not give a shit and probably got pushed into making a complaint.

She didn't make the complaint. A man did.

Miguel Ángel Galán was watching with pride as Spain won the Women’s World Cup. His joy turned to disgust when Rubiales planted that forceful kiss on the team’s star striker, Jenni Hermoso.

Within minutes, Galán, the head of the National Training Center of Football Managers, said he was drafting an official complaint to the Spanish government’s High Council of Sport (CSD

[DefTrap]

I completely agree that jail time for this offence is ridiculous, but the entitlement shown by Rubiales in this whole sorry affair is also ridiculous, as is his refusal to apologise. People really need to stop behaving like dicks, especially those in the public eye who are supposed to be an example to us, the great unwashed. I really don't have an answer to this kind of behaviour - how did these people get to be in such positions of power anyway? They were either appointed to these positions by people who (presumably) knew what kind of characters they were, or we the electorate voted them into power. It appears that systems of checks and balances are either broken or entirely absent, worldwide.

Football was, and aparently still is in a lot of cases, FULL of people like this. Full of 'old-school' bullies, know-it-alls and proud mysoginists & racists who thrive on power. It's like they're stuck in their late-70s boardroom while the rest of the world has moved on. (I encountered a fair few at youth football level. There's a high percentage of awful, rude and plain nasty bastards.)

I'm actually enjoying his lack of contrition. It would have been easy to say the words and accept the punishment and carry on in exactly the same way, but this way we get to see what proper entitled cnuts actually look like outside of their own safe environment. I don't actually think what he did that sparked it off was -that- bad actually but this is obviously the tip of the iceberg. I welcome these sorts of people having their faces wiped in the dog dirt, whilst they maintain their innocence and dig themselves a bigger hole.

[Timmy]

Women want to be seen as tough enough to serve in the military and be classed as equals yet piss the knickers over a kiss. Make your minds up, what version of wimmin are you?

[DefTrap]

Women want to be seen as tough enough to serve in the military and be classed as equals yet piss the knickers over a kiss. Make your minds up, what version of wimmin are you?

I prefer to think of it as "how would i want my son to behave" rather than "how would I want my daughter to react".

You'll be telling us she provoked him with her tits next.

[Timmy]

Indeed, all children should be told to never get excited and live a flat, lifeless life that must follow all the way through your adulthood. Spur of the moment act, people need to get over it and stop being offended on other peoples behalf.

[DefTrap]

I'm not offended by this actual event as such, I'm putting myself in their shoes, so my opinion is coloured by how I feel if it was me of mine doing the offending or being offended.

If I was the offender I hope I would have the bollocks to apologise profusely and personally and publically (given that the offense was public) not to do it again, and actually mean it. I could live with "I got excited!" if it was followed by "I'm really sorry and I accept it was wrong" because that's the right thing to do. I don't think doubling down with the excuse of "I didn't mean it, I want to live a full life" means much more than screw you. If you had the balls to go through with that rationale in the same position then well done.

[Felix]

How many strangers do you kiss at a Hogmanay gathering.

[DefTrap]

How many strangers do you kiss at a Hogmanay gathering.

Post COVIDs, none of them.

Pre COVIDs I would happily bisous friends and grudgingly neighbours out of respect to the local customs. And handshaking til your arms drop off. Mass gatherings of "people you somewhat know" were a bit of a nightmare.
Post COVIDs there's a lot less of that about.

[mangocrazy]

Rubiales is now the subject of a corruption investigation. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a lucrative deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68721045

[Mussels]

Rubiales is now the subject of a corruption investigation. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a lucrative deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68721045

This smacks of desperation to me, as if his enemies know they have very little against him so are throwing as much shit as they can.

[Yorick]

Rubiales is now the subject of a corruption investigation. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a lucrative deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68721045

This smacks of desperation to me, as if his enemies know they have very little against him so are throwing as much shit as they can.

Massive corruption is bad and easy to prove.

A kiss is a bit different.

[Mussels]

Rubiales is now the subject of a corruption investigation. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a lucrative deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-68721045

This smacks of desperation to me, as if his enemies know they have very little against him so are throwing as much shit as they can.

Massive corruption is bad and easy to prove.

A kiss is a bit different.

Yes but why wait until now to make the corruption claims?

[Yorick]

This smacks of desperation to me, as if his enemies know they have very little against him so are throwing as much shit as they can.

Massive corruption is bad and easy to prove.

A kiss is a bit different.

Yes but why wait until now to make the corruption claims?

Dunno. Let's see?

I've always suspected he's a wrong 'un.

[mangocrazy]

This smacks of desperation to me, as if his enemies know they have very little against him so are throwing as much shit as they can.

Massive corruption is bad and easy to prove.

A kiss is a bit different.

Yes but why wait until now to make the corruption claims?

He's no longer employed by the Spanish F.A. so isn't in a position to frustrate or block investigations. When in office he could hide, destroy or manipulate evidence; now he can't. Or it could also be that someone in the SFA just wants his head on a pole. There's probably a lot of ego and rivalries in a workplace like that.

[Jody]

See why that may not be politically correct, they've just won a major trophy, he's excited, she's excited, it's a slightly foolish thing to do, but FFS jail time! Cone on!
Using that logic my old granny should've been in prison 50 times over for corrupting a youth every time I left her house

He’s an idiot who got carried away in the moment. It happens to many people. Had he been self aware enough to realise this and apologise, he might have a sliver of moral ground left to stand on, and possibly a job… Doubling down on his position of it being consensual is stupid quite frankly, but then he’s obviously got quite a fragile ego…

BUT… Jail time…? I have several mates, most of whom are happily married now, who we would laugh about being an absolute liability when drunk on a night out (but at the same time be quite concerned for any potential victims!) who have done things much worse than Rubiales’ kiss to unassuming ladies in bars and nightclubs, night out after night out, year after year, and the absolute worst they’ve ever experienced was a slap… I’m not saying this is right, absolutely it is not, and I’ve had to apologise on behalf of a drunken friend (or make myself scarce) more times than I’d care to remember because of said actions, but not one of them ever received anything worse than a slap off the victim or any repurcussions at all… I am certainly not defending or excusing their previous actions, far from it… But how can society judge something worthy of jail time just because of the high profile individuals involved, where I have known many genuine rape cases get ignored or thrown out of court based upon a lack of evidence? I’d wager that having lost his job because of his error in judgement, Rubiales isn’t likely to repeat the offence and more than likely it has served as a significant deterrent already to any others who might have got “caught up in the moment” and acted similarly, so further prosecution for what was ultimately a poor error of judgement, just seems vindictive.

FWIW @mangocrazy and @Yorick , my GF spent many years living in Spain too and she’s been quite shocked at the magnitude of the whole thing. Whilst she absolutely doesn’t defend Rubiales’ actions as he had no right to do what he did (and that he was more stupid to double down on the “consent” side of things rather than just apologise and admit fault), she said she’s seen far worse most weekends that she lived out there, men being introduced to women they previously might not have known through a mutual friend, or worse men greeting friends’ teenage kids even!!! Where does one draw the line…?

In the 80's you could say "Bomb" in an airport and it would be frowned upon, but that was it.

Try that today you'll likely end up in prison.

In the middle somewhere were a few examples of people making an error of judgement and being made an example of with seemingly over zealous punishments handed out.

Result. No-one says bomb in airports anymore because everyone knows it's a massive no-no.


Also though, As pointed out in post 2 by Irie, a suspended sentence will be handed out, which as I understand is basically the biggest "If you do that again..." ever invented.
As he does appear to have form, it could be very bad news for him !?

[irie]

Appears that Luis Rubiales does indeed 'have history' which, courtesy of the power vested in his previous position, he has in the past managed to deflect.