Madrid, Spain

The regional leaders of the Spanish Football Federation appealed for the immediate resignation of their President Luis Rubiales after he kissed player Jenni Hermoso. The call for resignation was published in a statement published on Tuesday (August 29) after an emergency meeting.

The world's governing soccer body FIFA suspended Rubiales on Saturday for forcibly kissing a female player during the victory celebrations of the women’s team’s World Cup.

“After the recent events and the unacceptable behaviours that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that, immediately, Mr. Luis Rubiales submits his resignation as president of the RFEF [Royal Spanish Football Federation]," stated the RFEF, on behalf of the committee of regional presidents.

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All the 19 regional presidents also expressed their unanimous support to the interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha, “to lead a new stage of dialogue and reconciliation with all of the football institutions,” read the statement. Rubiales, after getting suspended by FIFA, was replaced by Rocha.

"We will urge the relevant authorities to carry out a profound and imminent organisational restructuring in strategic positions of the federation in order to make way for a new stage in the management of Spanish football," added the statement.

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Rubiales, who is facing increasing pressure to resign, will now have to go through an investigation that can end with sexual aggression charges against him from Spanish prosecutors.

WATCH | Spanish federation threatens legal action over Hermoso 'lies'

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Mother on ‘hunger strike’

Earlier, Rubiales's mother locked herself in a church and sat on a hunger strike in protest against the “inhumane, bloodthirsty hunt” of her 46-year-old son, reported Spanish media.

As per reports, Angeles Bejar on Monday said that she will stay in the church in Motril, near Granada in southern Spain, “indefinitely, day and night” until justice is done with Rubiales.

The RFEF and soccer chief are involved in a controversy since he kissed 33-year-old attacker Hermoso after Spain clinched the first Women’s World Cup title against England.

Rubiales accepted that he made a mistake, however, he claimed that the kiss was consensual. Meanwhile, Hermoso stated that she had not permitted the kiss and felt violated.

“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part. Simply put I was not respected,” she stated on social media.

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