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Aug. 29 (UPI) -- Regional presidents of the Royal Spanish Football Federation called for president Luis Rubiales to resign immediately, saying he "damaged the image of Spanish football" with his unwanted World Cup kiss of player Jenni Hermoso. The action came after federation officials held an "urgent" meeting Monday morning in Madrid. They announced the result Monday night, as demonstrations supporting Hermoso occurred in Spain's capital city.
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Rubiales had said Friday at a general assembly at federation headquarters in Madrid that the controversy was the result of "fake feminism" and refused to resign.
"After the latest events and the unacceptable behaviors that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football, the presidents request that Mr. Luis Rubiales immediately present his resignation as president of the RFEF," the federation said in a news release.
On Saturday, FIFA, the world governing body for soccer, suspended Rubiales for 90 days pending disciplinary proceedings. FIFA opened those proceedings Thursday, four days after the federation president kissed Hermoso during the World Cup trophy presentation Aug. 20 in Sydney.
Spanish prosecutors also announced Monday that they opened an investigation into Rubiales. They said they will contact Hermoso and inform her of her rights as a victim of an "alleged crime of sexual aggression" over the next two weeks.
Hermoso says that "at no time" did she consent to the kiss, which Rubiales claimed was "consensual" and initiated by the midfielder.
The federation previously threatened to take legal action against Hermoso, accusing her of lying about the exchange. In that news release, the federation posted photos and provided explanations of the exchange, but did not include an image of the kiss.
Footage of the incident, still available on YouTube, shows Rubiales pulling the midfielder's head forward with both hands and kissing her on the lips.
Last week, Spain's Supreme Sports Council filed a petition to the Administrative Sports Court requesting Rubiales' removal. The council called his behavior "unacceptable" in the news release.
More than 80 Spanish players also announced they would not play again in international competitions until Rubiales was removed from or resigned from the role.
Hermoso, who has continuously denied that the kiss was consensual, has received widespread support from fellow players, fans and soccer and government officials.
"We warmly congratulate the women's soccer team for their victory in the World Cup," the federation said in its news release.
"We value the meaning and legacy of success for Spanish sport. We express our admiration and gratitude to an unrepeatable group of players and we extend our congratulations to all those who have built, over the years with determination, the growth of women's football.
"We will urge the corresponding bodies to carry out a deep and imminent organic restructuring in strategic positions of the federation to give way to a new stage of management in Spanish football."
In its statement, the federation also requested for interim president Pedro Rocha to immediately withdraw a request for UEFA to suspend federation teams from competition.
"The presidents' commission has given its unanimous support to Pedro Rocha so that he leads a new stage where dialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions is the line to follow," the federation said.
