A man has been arrested after throwing eggs at disgraced former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales during a book launch event on Thursday.
The former Spanish FA president, who has been banned from football by FIFA for three years after being convicted of sexual assault in the wake of 2023 Women’s World Cup ‘Kissgate’ scandal, was presenting his new book Matar a Rubiales (Killing Rubiales) in Madrid when the astonishing attack occurred.
Footage shared on social media showed a protestor at the book launch hurl at least three eggs at Rubiales, who leapt off his seat and appeared to charge at the attacker before being held back by security.
One egg struck Rubiales on the back of his jacket as he tried to take evasive action, while another hit the Spaniard on his hand as he tried to swat it away.
It is understood Rubiales sprinted towards the attacker, who wore a hooded jacket, a black hat and headphones, in an effort to identify them.
Spanish outlet AS has claimed that the aggressor is his own uncle Luis Ruben Rubiales, amid reports the disgraced chief and his family are ‘very divided’.
Disgraced former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales launched his new book on Thursday
The book launch event in Madrid was disrupted when a protestor hurled eggs at Rubiales
The attacker, whose identity is not yet confirmed, was arrested by police outside the venue
The attacker was arrested by police outside the building and has not yet been named by authorities.
Rubiales, 48, was found guilty of kissing Spain women’s star Jenni Hermoso without consent after his country’s World Cup final triumph over England in 2023.
The disgraced chief, who saw his appeal dismissed by the Court of Arbitration for Sport in February, was ordered to pay more than 10,000 euros (£8,942) in fines and was prohibited from getting within 200 meters of Hermoso or communicating with her for a year.
Prosecutors were seeking two and a half years in prison against Rubiales for sexual assault for the forced kiss and allegedly coercing Hermoso to downplay the incident.
Rubiales avoided a custodial sentence and was acquitted on the charge of coercion, but is barred from working in football until after the men’s 2026 World Cup.
Three weeks after the ‘Kissgate’ incident, he resigned from his role as RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation), insisting that he was the victim of a ‘witch hunt’ by ‘false feminists.’
Speaking at the launch event, Rubiales revealed he is ‘feeling strong and very good’ and is ‘delighted’ with the response his book has received so far.
‘It shows that people are beginning to disbelieve fake news,’ he added, referring to the ‘Kissgate’ scandal.
Rubiales, 48, was found guilty of kissing Spain women’s star Jenni Hermoso without consent
His book Matar a Rubiales (Killing Rubiales) shares the disgraced chief’s take on the scandal
‘In this country I’m not sure what percentage of people would throw eggs at me and what percentage flowers because I’m one of the few people who dares to tell the truth, which is the reason for this book.’
In February, Rubiales told the court he was ‘totally sure’ Hermoso consented to him kissing her on the lips after Spain won the World Cup.
‘She squeezed me very tightly under my armpits, she lifted me, and when I came down I asked her if I can give you a kiss, and she said “OK”. That’s what happened,’ he claimed.
