Spain soccer coach regrets his support for Luis Rubiales and asks for forgiveness

By JOSEPH WILSON
Associated Press

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The coach of Spain’s men’s national soccer team has asked for forgiveness for applauding the claim by Luis Rubiales that he was the victim of a smear campaign from “false feminists” following an uproar after he kissed a player on the lips at the Women’s World Cup. Luis de la Fuente was speaking one week after he clapped several times during an emergency general assembly of the Spanish soccer federation when Rubiales refused to step down. Rubiales is the president of the country’s soccer federation. De la Fuente condemned Rubiales’ kiss in a statement hours after the governing body of world soccer suspended him last week.