LAS ROZAS: Spain's Olympic chief said on Friday (Sep 1) that the actions of football federation boss Luis Rubiales, who has unleashed a furore by kissing a Women's World Cup winning player, were "inappropriate" and "unacceptable" but did not represent Spanish sport as a whole.Men's national team coach Luis de la Fuente, meanwhile, apologised for clapping for Rubiales as he refused to quit last week, and players' unions announced a two-match strike in the women's domestic league in protest over their conditions and pay.Prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into a possible sexual assault after Rubiales grabbed player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissed her on the mouth following Spain's victory in Sydney on Aug 20.Spanish Olympic Committee President Alejandro Blanco said the gestures by Rubiales - whom he described as a personal friend - could not be tolerated.It was "unacceptable that an isolated incident should take the limelight away from our sportsmen and women", Blanco told a news conference.The fallout from the kiss has become a "Me Too" moment in Spain, unleashing anger that had been building for years, and triggering a torrent of allegations from other women in football of predatory behaviour by men.Aside from the kiss, Rubiales also drew criticism for grabbing his genitals while celebrating the team's win from the VIP box next to Spain's Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter.Rubiales, who has called the kiss consensual, has refused to resign as head of the federation.
He has been suspended for three months by FIFA pending a disciplinary probe by football's world governing body.Hermoso has said that she did not consent to the kiss and felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression".Blanco said he