This post-World Cup kiss-kerfuffle is such a needless media spectacle.
Two adults crossed lips in a moment of euphoric celebration. If boundaries were crossed, an apology should suffice, and sober heads should be able to deal with whatever awkwardness remains. But no. Both sides have gone on to make public statements that fan the flames of a two-sided witch hunt. Rubiales' over the top statements are particularly ridiculous.
I find all of this to be so needless.
In reality, Rubiales is nothing compared to lifelong unapologetic ladies man and Benfica's former director of communication, João Malheiro.
This was at his club-sponsored birthday party, many years ago, when he was still working for Benfica. He often stated: "I've only been faithful to two things in my life: SG Filtro (a Portuguese cigarette brand) and Benfica.
Portuguese football is full of these kind of men, but none top FC Porto's lifetime supreme leader, Pinto da Costa.
At the ripe old age of 85, he's just very recently married his 5th wife.
It didn't work out with his 4th wife.
The 2nd lady in his life, who he later married as his 3rd wife, was his personal secretary with whom he had an affair with while married to his 1st wife.
Oh but his 2nd wife... she was quite the character. Carolina Salgado.
She essentially was promoted from call girl to wife (Pinto da Costa has consistently hired escorts to get favourable calls from referees throughout his nearly 5 decade long presidency of FC Porto).
They eventually broke up, and she wrote a tell all book ratting him out. Police picked up on it, investigated, and caught him red handed via wiretapping, referring to escorts as (fruit, candy, and coffee with milk). he was initially suspended for two years and fined 10k euros. A friendly judge (Pinto da Costa has also used the club support group "Super Dragões" as his personal enforcer group, to intimidate and control the referee development pipeline and judicial system) cleared him of all charges on some procedural BS.
Portuguese soccer clubs are associations. presidents are elected by club members, but it's clear that neither FC Porto's voting associates, nor the Portuguese justice system, nor UEFA, nor FIFA will ever do anything about this absolute mafioso.
It's up to biology.
He turns 86 next December. I have his eulogy in draft. I hate this man.