Luis Rubiales: Spain's RFEF president refuses to resign after fierce criticism for unwanted kiss on Jennifer Hermoso | CNN

Luis Rubiales: Spain's RFEF president refuses to resign after fierce criticism for unwanted kiss on Jennifer Hermoso | CNN: %u201CIt%20was%20a%20spontaneous%20kiss%20%u2026%20It%20was%20spontaneous%2C%20mutual%2C%20euphoric%20and%20with%20consent%2C%20which%20is%20the%20key.%20This%20is%20the%20key%20to%20all%20of%20the%20criticism%2C%20of%20all%20of%20the%20campaign%20which%20has%20been%20mounted%20in%20this%20country%3A%20that%20it%20was%20without%20consent.%20No.%20It%20was%20with%20consent.%u201D%0A%0AOn%20Wednesday%2C%20following%20strong%20criticism%20of%20Rubiales%u2019%20kiss%20from%20journalists%2C%20politicians%2C%20and%20campaign%20groups%2C%20Hermoso%20said%20that%20Spain%u2019s%20Association%20of%20Professional%20Soccer%20Players%20%28FUTPRO%29%20and%20her%20agency%20TMJ%20would%20be%20%u201Cdefending%20my%20interests%20and%20acting%20as%20spokespersons%20on%20this%20matter.%u201D%0A%0AThen%20on%20Thursday%2C%20global%20governing%20body%20FIFA%20said%20that%20it%20had%20opened%20disciplinary%20proceedings%20against%20Rubiales%20as%20he%20may%20have%20violated%20the%20game%u2019s%20%u201Cbasic%20rules%20of%20decent%20conduct.%u201D%0A%0ARubiales%20also%20said%20that%20he%20was%20in%20%u201Cno%20position%20of%20dominance%u201D%20during%20the%20kiss%20and%20that%20he%20had%20wanted%20to%20console%20Hermoso%2C%20who%20had%20missed%20a%20penalty%20to%20put%20Spain%202-0%20ahead%20during%20the%20final.%0A%0A%u201CWhen%20Jenni%20first%20showed%20up%2C%20she%20lifted%20me%20up%20from%20the%20ground.%20She%20grabbed%20me%20by%20the%20hips%2C%20by%20the%20legs%2C%20I%20don%u2019t%20remember%20well%2C%u201D%20he%20said.%20%u201CShe%20lifted%20me%20up%20from%20the%20ground%20%u2013%20and%20we%20almost%20fell%20down.%0A%0A%u201CAnd%20when%20she%20put%20me%20down%20on%20the%20ground%2C%20we%20hugged%20each%20other.%20She%u2019s%20the%20one%20who%20picked%20me%20up%20in%20her%20arms%20and%20she%20pulled%20me%20into%20her%20body.%20We%20hugged%20and%20I%20told%20her%2C%20%u2018Forget%20about%20the%20penalty.%20You%20were%20fantastic%2C%20we%20wouldn%u2019t%20have%20won%20this%20World%20Cup%20without%20you.%u2019%20She%20replied%20to%20me%2C%20%u2018You%20are%20awesome.%u2019%20And%20I%20said%2C%20%u2018A%20small%20peck%3F%u2019%20And%20she%20said%2C%20%u2018OK.%u2019%20%0A%0AADVERTISING%0A%0A%u201CThen%20the%20peck%20happened%20during%20all%20of%20this%20celebration%20with%20her%20patting%20me%20on%20the%20side%20a%20few%20times%20and%20then%20excusing%20herself%20with%20one%20more%20hand%20on%20the%20side%20and%20going%20off%20laughing.%20That%u2019s%20the%20whole%20sequence.%20That%20the%20whole%20world%20understood%2C%20that%20the%20whole%20world%20thought%20was%20an%20anecdote%2C%20and%20above%20all%2C%20she%20said%20was%20an%20anecdote%20and%20nothing%20more.%u201D%0A%0ACNN%20has%20reached%20out%20to%20FUTPRO.%0A%0AWhile%20acknowledging%20he%20needed%20to%20apologize%20for%20his%20actions%2C%20Rubiales%20described%20calls%20for%20his%20resignation%20as%20a%20%u201Cwitch%20hunt.%u201D%0A%0A%u201C%u2026%20the%20thing%20with%20the%20kiss%2C%20which%20I%20said%20was%20free%2C%20was%20mutual%2C%20which%20was%20with%20consent%2C%20but%20obviously%20I%20still%20have%20to%20ask%20for%20forgiveness%20for%20the%20context%20in%20which%20it%20occurred.%20I%u2019m%20not%20living%20outside%20of%20the%20world%20and%20I%20know%20that%20I%20made%20a%20mistake%20in%20this%2C%u201D%20he%20said.%20%u201CBut%20do%20we%20think%20that%20this%20merits%20the%20witch%20hunt%20which%20I%u2019m%20suffering%3F%20Do%20you%20really%20believe%20that%3F%0A%0A%u201CAnother%20thing%20is%20what%20someone%20has%20to%20say%20publicly%2C%20but%20do%20you%20think%20it%20merits%20this%20hunt%3F%20So%20that%20they%20ask%20for%20my%20resignation%3F%20Is%20it%20so%20serious%20so%20that%20I%20have%20to%20leave%20having%20done%20the%20best%20leadership%20in%20the%20history%20of%20Spanish%20football%3F%0A%0A%u201CDo%20you%20think%20I%20have%20to%20resign%3F%20Well%2C%20I%u2019m%20going%20to%20tell%20you%20something%3A%20I%u2019m%20not%20going%20to%20resign%21%20I%u2019m%20not%20going%20to%20resign%21%20I%20won%u2019t%20resign%21%20I%u2019m%20not%20going%20to%20resign%21%20I%u2019m%20not%20going%20to%20resign%21%u201D%0A%0A