Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former president of the Spanish football federation, had eggs thrown at him during the launch of his new book in Madrid on Thursday. The assailant, whom Rubiales later identified as his uncle, threw three eggs, one of which struck the 48-year-old on the back.
Rubiales told the news portal Periodista Digital: “I’ve found out he was my own uncle; Luis Ruben he’s called. An uncle who is my age. He threw eggs at me because he’s a deranged person, and I don’t think there’s any justification for it.” National police confirmed a Spanish man had been arrested but would not comment on the family connection.
The incident occurred at the presentation of Rubiales’s book Matar a Rubiales (Killing Rubiales). Rubiales tried to chase after his uncle but was held back by others at the event. Earlier this week, he claimed on Spanish television that he was the victim of a “sudden far-left movement” that created a “parallel reality” to exploit the forced kiss controversy.
Rubiales was fined €10,800 (£9,550) for forcibly kissing player Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s Women’s World Cup win in August 2023. He maintains the kiss was consensual, and his lawyer has said he will appeal the conviction at the supreme court. The incident led to widespread condemnation, Rubiales’s resignation, and a three-year ban from football, sparking a national debate on sexism in sport.
