As of Wednesday afternoon, Luis Rubiales was completely isolated and yet still officially the singular head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (Rfef). It is an absurd situation that symbolises so much about a story that is at once so serious and also utterly farcical, not least regarding the organisation itself. The regional chiefs that form the Rfef’s assembly finally turned on Rubiales by requesting his resignation on Monday, but they don’t actually have the power to force it. The 46-year-old still has to take the decision, which would come just days after he repeatedly announced: “I am not resigning!”. In the meantime, he is suspended from all football-related activities by Fifa, which could take it even further once its investigation concludes. So much of this story has developed from Rubiales’ distinctive personality, to put it generously. And yet the very fact such a personality is so difficult to remove from the role is a reflection of something much bigger that has also provoked even more discussions about what Spanish football has been and where it is going. A common sentiment is that this shouldn’t stop at Rubiales’ resignation – whenever that may come. The vociferous applause he received for that speech at the federation base was an illustration of why, even as so many of those pictured clapping his words have now turned on him too, right up to the controversial Spain manager Jorge Vilda. “The whole incident has proven how weak the federation’s government and oversight structures are,” one involved source stated. It is why the word “structural” has now been used so many times in the days since. “We want to state this is a structural problem,” said Amanda Gutierrez, president of the FutPro organisation that represents Jenni Hermoso. “It is something football players suffer every day of their career, they have to face these discriminations.” Joan Soteras, president of the Catalan Football Federation which is one of the regional organisations that make up the Spanish federation, echoed those words. “We need structural change in women’s football. Maybe Vilda leaving should be part of that change.” It is why this is about so much more than “a peck”, as Rubiales so provocatively put it. Rubiales’ unwanted kiss on Hermoso was initially explained away as “euphoria” amid the World Cup victory but it came out of a strikingly triumphalist attitude, that had already seen him grab his crotch. That attitude actually preceded the final and went back to Spain’s semi-final win over Sweden, when Rubiales became the first person from the team camp to break an uneasy truce and mention the player rebellion (when a number of Spanish stars boycotted the teamn in September 2022) for the first time. Even the language there was provocative, as he spoke of “people with resentments”. Those so-called “resentments” were actually profound concern about how the Spanish squad were managed and how sub-standard preparations were, right up to complaints about how they were made to leave their hotel doors open at night. The federation did listen to some complaints during the World Cup itself, moving the team’s base, but Rubiales made it stridently clear where he stood by fully backing Vilda. It was impossible not to put his triumphalism from the semi-final into that context, as if this was personal vindication for him and Vilda. It may yet bring the downfall of Rubiales and the departure of Vilda. The calls are already growing for the latter to be forced out too. Other related controversies have followed Rubiales, such as they way he speaks to people. That included a development from 2016 when Tamara Ramos – a staff member for the Spanish Players’ Association, where Rubiales had previously been president – commented on her underwear and joked: “You’ve come here to put on your kneepads.” This has all framed the frequent commentary now that the triumph of a women’s team has been completely dominated by a man, who had sought to put himself and his manager at the centre almost immediately. But there’s a wider context to that, too. One reason that Vilda even got the job is because his predecessor as Spain women’s manager, Ignacio Quereda, was finally forced out in 2015 after 27 years. The details that led to that have echoes with now, but are of an even more concerning nature. It is no coincidence that a 2021 documentary that covers Quereda’s time titled Breaking the Silence has been widely shared on social media in the last few days. The former manager had complete authority over an underfunded team, and was accused of bullying his players and reducing them to tears in a “culture of fear”. He would stand in a circle at training and tell one player “you’re fat” and another that “you need an alpha male” as a partner. The documentary cites homophobic language as well as a racist attitude towards Catalans, calling them “polacas”. Players would seek to avoid him off the pitch, although that was difficult when he demanded total control in camp. Quereda would demand to see what was in shopping bags, according to former player Mar Prieto, and go around each hotel room every night before shutting the door. Such apparent attention to detail in this area was not matched with football preparation, as there was negligible video analysis or tactical preparation. These were not the circumstances to even get the players performing to par, and they were duly knocked out in the first round of their first World Cup in 2015. Players had complained to the federation before, but then president Angel Maria Villar never seemed to heed their concerns. The squad instead saw him as enabling Quereda, and eventually wrote a joint letter demanding change. Villar is reported as dismissing this, describing it as “nonsense from the girls”, which forced them to go public. Vilda, whose father is a prominent federation employee, eventually replaced Quereda. Villar himself was replaced by Rubiales in 2018, after a suspension that followed a detention on allegations of collusion, embezzlement and falsifying documents. It was in December 2017, coincidentally, that there were echoes of the Spanish federation’s absurd request to Uefa that the organisation get expelled for state interference. Villar warned that Fifa could ban Spain from the 2018 World Cup, as he said the move by the sports council (CSD) to suspend him was “arbitrary” and an “injustice” without giving him the “possibility of presumption of innocence”. “The only ones responsible for the possibility that the national team could miss out on the World Cup is the current government,” Villar said. It is the CSD which received the four official complaints against Rubiales. Prominent sources within football politics say the Spanish federation was always seen as a “basket case” for years, that was all the more surprising given how its coaching infrastructure genuinely revolutionised world football. The top level beyond that was seen as made up of conservative white men, though, with little influence from women or minority groups. That was interpreted as crucial to some of the most jaw-dropping developments of the past few days, where the federation seemed completely in thrall to Rubiales, with a series of statements that defied belief. The reality of public opinion eventually intervened. All of this has informed the current situation, and particularly the Se Acabo slogan – “it’s over” – which is really saying enough is enough. Victor Francos, the president of the CSD, has already described this as a MeToo moment for Spanish football. It has been so profound, leading all bulletins, that the hope, is now that it brings deep change. That might be a legacy from these players as valuable as the World Cup itself. "Our generation wants to make a legacy for the future,” star player Alexia Putellas said. “We need executives and institutions to fight for our fight so players have what they deserve.” “A change is taking place,” Irene Paredes said on the eve of the final in Sydney. Little did she know the potential extent of it.

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Seal has spoken about his close relationship with his and his ex-wife Heidi Klum’s 19-year-old daughter, Leni Olum Klum. The musician, 60, took to Instagram on 4 September to share a snap of him and his daughter in New York City together. In the caption, he described how Leni has ultimately shaped his life, and pointed out how grateful he was for her. “In NY with the young woman who changed my life for the better 19yrs ago. Thank you Leni for making me a better person,” he wrote, before signing the tribute with: “Love you, - papa.” In the comments, Leni expressed her love for her father’s post, writing: “So cute! I love you papa,” along with a red heart emoji. Many fans of the singer went to the comments to praise his sweet relationship with Leni. “So much love in this photo! Have a wonderful time together!” one wrote, while another added: “Daddy and Daughter. Beautiful!!” The young model was born in May 2004, right after Klum split from Leni’s biological father, Italian businessman Flavio Briatore. In December 2009, Seal legally adopted Leni when she was five years old, while the singer and supermodel were still married. The former couple went on to have three more children: sons Henry, 17, and Johan, 16; and daughter Lou, 13. Klum filed for divorce in April 2012. This isn’t the first time that Seal has shown his support for the 19-year-old. During an interview with E! News in March, he spoke out about Leni’s career, as she has followed in her mother’s footsteps by becoming a model. While he noted that he’s “so proud of everything that Leni has done”, he’s “more proud of everything that she is”. “She walks through life with this type of humility that allows her to move so gracefully through it all and she has an innate understanding of people in general and people’s feelings,” the singer explained. “So I’m kind of more impressed with everything that she is.” Seal - whose real name is Seal Henry Olusegun Olumide Adeola Samuel - also spoke candidly about co-parenting with his ex-wife, adding: “I’d like to think, as a parent, that we have - between her mother and myself - that we’ve instilled some of that in her. But she can do no wrong in my eyes and she’s quite wonderful.” Earlier this year, Klum applauded her daughter for working on her mode;ling career while studying in college. “I’m very proud of my daughter and her modelling. And she’s studying at the same time, she’s juggling already,” the America’s Got Talent judge said during an interview with People in March. Meanwhile, Leni has also spoken out about working in the modelling industry as the child of two famous parents. During an interview with People in October 2022, she acknowledged that she “got a lift into” the modelling world due to her upbringing. “It’s just a fact. My parents are famous,” she said. However, when she was asked about the infamous “nepotism baby” label given to children of celebrities, Leni said it’s her own work ethic that has helped build her career thus far. “I did get help starting off, and I know that people would dream to start off with what I had,” the college student explained. “I’m so grateful that I’ve been able to take what was gifted to me by my mom. But I am doing the work and putting in the time. Now I’m working on my own, travelling alone, going to school. My mom and I just have the same love for the same thing.” Although she said that her own ambition has led her to success in her career, she still credited her parents for instilling a strong work ethic in her at a young age. “They have both taught me to be myself, and to do what makes me feel comfortable,” she said. “You can tell if you’re not comfortable and then the best of you isn’t brought out. I just think you should be open and honest with what makes you comfortable, be yourself, do what you love.” Read More Heidi Klum opens up about her and husband Tom Kaulitz’s 16-year age gap Heidi Klum’s model daughter Leni shows off grisly burn after admitting she ‘didn’t use enough sunscreen’ Heidi Klum gushes with pride over daughter Leni for ‘juggling’ modelling and college Heidi Klum denies she counts calories after report she eats 900 calories a day Sleeping pill could reduce levels of Alzheimer’s proteins Marathon runners on why autumn is the best time to start running