Former Football Chief Targeted in Family Drama
The controversial former Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales found himself at the centre of another shocking incident when his own uncle launched an egg attack during the Madrid presentation of his new book. The event for Matar a Rubiales (Kill Rubiales) turned chaotic on Thursday night as the disgraced football boss became the target of an unexpected assailant.
The Attack and Immediate Aftermath
Security personnel had to intervene dramatically as Rubiales attempted to confront his attacker after being struck by multiple eggs. The former soccer chief later identified the mystery assailant as his paternal uncle, Luis Ruben Rubiales, describing him as "deranged" and revealing their family is "very divided."
The incident took an unusual twist when police arrested Luis Ruben overnight, with authorities confirming the arrest was for criminal damage after a screen behind Rubiales was broken during the altercation. The suspect spent the night in a police cell and was expected to appear in court on Friday morning.
Uncle's Secret Identity Revealed
Investigations uncovered that the 48-year-old attacker is actually a working actor who has appeared in Spanish television commercials and shows alongside household names. Luis Ruben had managed to remain unrecognised immediately after the incident by concealing his long hair under a black beanie hat while wearing dark glasses and large headphones.
Social media analysis revealed recent selfies showing Luis Ruben wearing the same distinctive headphones seen during the attack, though he had shaved off the beard visible in summer photographs. One promotional video for a loan company showcases him throwing back his head to display his impeccably maintained, back-length hair.
According to reports, the actor uncle lives in the Costa Tropical resort of Motril, east of Malaga, with his 90-year-old grandmother. He is just one month younger than his famous nephew.
Complex Family Dynamics
The egg-throwing incident exposes deep fractures within the Rubiales family. Luis Ruben is the former brother-in-law of Rubiales' mother, Angeles Bejar, who made headlines in August 2023 when she undertook a two-day hunger strike in a church in Motril before requiring hospital treatment.
At the time, Angeles claimed her drastic protest aimed to pressure Jenni Hermoso to "tell the truth" about the kiss that led to her son's sexual assault conviction, despite Rubiales' continued insistence that the Spanish international had consented.
Further complicating matters, Luis Ruben is the younger brother of another Rubiales uncle, Juan Rubiales, who has become the former FA president's sworn enemy. Juan claims his nephew fired him from his football federation position in 2020, potentially sowing the seeds for the family conflict that culminated in Thursday's egg attack.
Juan Rubiales has previously described his nephew as needing "a social re-education programme and a re-education in his relationship with women," characterising him in interviews as a man "obsessed with power, luxury, money and women."
Legal Troubles and Controversial Book
The book launch drama comes against the backdrop of Rubiales' ongoing legal battles. The former football chief was convicted of sexually assaulting Spanish international Jenni Hermoso following his infamous kiss during the August 2023 Women's World Cup celebrations.
Although acquitted of coercion charges after a February trial in Madrid, Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault and fined £8,395 (10,800 euros). A judge also banned him from approaching within 200 metres of Hermoso, who testified that the kiss had "tainted one of the happiest days of her life" and accused Rubiales of abusing her as a woman.
Rubiales is currently appealing his conviction with Spain's Supreme Court. His 506-page book, priced at just over £20, claims he has fallen victim to the "greatest conspiracy" in Spanish football history, criticising the government, "armchair feminists" and "wokeness."
Publishers Ultima Linea previewed the book's content last month, stating it would reveal "the names and interests of the 'old aristocracy' allied with certain ministries, the interests of the government itself, armchair feminism, and the woke world."
The controversial kiss occurred after Rubiales grabbed his crotch while approaching the medal podium to greet Queen Letizia and her then-16-year-old daughter before congratulating striker Jenni Hermoso, who now plays club football in Mexico.
Rubiales ultimately resigned as Spanish FA president in September 2023, despite initially defiantly refusing to step down during an extraordinary general assembly where he raged against "false feminism" that "does not seek justice, truth, it does not care about people."
The former football administrator, who had a brief professional playing career with Scottish club Hamilton Academical, remains at the centre of a separate investigation concerning the contract to stage the Spanish Super Cup in Saudi Arabia alongside former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.
