Luis Rubiales opens the door for a deeper conversation about Power Imbalance in relationships | Unpublished
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Ottawa, Ontario
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Luis Rubiales opens the door for a deeper conversation about Power Imbalance in relationships

September 24, 2023
Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso after the Spanish women's soccer team won the World Cup

Luis Rubiales  is living in the best of times and the worst of times. As President of the Spanish Football Federation, he participated in the Spanish women's team victory at the World Cup this year. A fantastic win given much of their team was made up of rookies. 

But, in the process of celebration he crossed the line when he kissed a player on the team, Jenni Hermoso. The fallout from "the kiss" has cost him his wife, his home, his job and his annual $1 large salary. Not to mention the embarrassment and legal prosecution.

Why did this happen, and what can be learned from it?

As President he had the responsibility to either have a talk about sexual boundaries with the Women's team, or ask his coach to do so,  A lack of real policy inside the Spanish Football Federation, which he headed, led to a jubilant spontaneous victory kiss being delivered to an unwilling participant.

Of course his response to the criticism should have been an immediate apology, but instead Rubiales focused on what he perceived to be the harmlessness of it, rather than the impropriety of breaking boundaries, and the power imbalance it exposed. 

Rubiales will lose his case, likely with a suspended sentence.  Hopefully, he will learn from his mistake. 



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