<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;">Spain's women's football league on Wednesday demanded Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales be sacked for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the country's World Cup victory, describing his behaviour as "disgusting".</span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Spanish football federation (RFEF) chief Rubiales, 46, has been heavily criticised for planting a kiss on the lips of Hermoso following her team's 1-0 triumph over England in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Rubiales initially attacked his critics before eventually apologising but the criticism of his behaviour has not abated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">La Liga F said in a statement: "The Professional Women's Football League has lodged a complaint with the President of the Superior Sports Council (CSD) after the very serious actions and behaviour of the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, at the final of the Women's World Cup, and is calling for his dismissal.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"One of the greatest feats in the history of Spanish sport has been tainted by the embarrassing behaviour of the highest representative of Spanish football who, once again, and guided by his continuous and habitual desire for leadership, has revealed to not be up to the position he occupies," the women's league added.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"A boss grabbing his employee by the head and kissing her on the mouth simply cannot be tolerated.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's not just about the kiss. Celebrating the triumph on the presidential balcony while holding his genitals next to the queen is unacceptable and disgusting."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">That criticism was a reference to another incident on Sunday evening, broadcast around the world, which appeared to show Rubiales grab his genitals with both hands to celebrate Spain's victory.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Less than two metres away from his seat were Spanish Queen Letizia and her daughter, Infanta Sofia, who were also watching the match.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"It's an incident which has entered the history of world sport and, more seriously still, will forever be linked to our national women's team," said La Liga F who described it as a moment of "unprecedented international disgrace for the 'Spain brand', for Spanish sport and for women's football in the world".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">- Government demands 'urgent' investigation -</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Earlier on Wednesday, the Spanish government demanded transparency and urgent action from the football federation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The RFEF on Tuesday called an emergency meeting for Friday and activated an internal investigation into the incident.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Victor Francos, Spain's secretary of sport and president of the country's sports council (CSD), said the council would take action if the RFEF did not -- they can raise the case to Spain's Administrative Court for Sports.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I imagine that what the responsible people will do is talk to the two parties involved and issue a report," Francos told radio station Cadena Ser.</div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"I have personally told the federation this report has to be transparent and urgent, because, if it is not, obviously we are obliged to take the corresponding additional measures."</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said Tuesday that Rubiales' apology for the kiss was insufficient.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The government has said what it has said -- it is an unacceptable act, more steps (are happening) and we will use our instruments to prove transparency in the process and the corresponding resolution, if the time comes," added Francos.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">American forward Megan Rapinoe, the world's highest-profile women's player, was similarly scathing in an interview with The Atlantic on Tuesday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy," said Rapinoe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">She referred to Rubiales' behaviour at the final as portraying "a deep level of misogyny and sexism". AFP</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>