Luis Rubiales Gets Egged at His Book Launch by His Uncle
Luis Rubiales, the ex-president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), held a launch event for his new book “Matar a Rubiales.” During the launch, a person in the crowd stood up and threw eggs at Rubiales in a heated exchange. The book launch and the egg throwing are bringing back to light the tarnished legacy Rubiales built, and the way the family is always there to keep you in check.
Luis Rubiales was pelted with eggs during his book launch in Madrid
Luis Rubiales is promoting his new book, “Matar a Rubiales,” and the launch has already brought some drama. Rubiales, the ex-RFEF president, was being interviewed about the book when a man in the crowd stood up and threw three eggs at him. Video of the incident shows Rubiales getting hit by two of the three eggs as he tried to confront the man.
Rubiales later revealed that the attacker was his uncle, named Luis Rúben. It is a reminder that the people who are willing to gather you the most are members of your own family.
“I’ve found out he was my own uncle; Luis Ruben he’s called. An uncle who is my age,” Rubiales told Periodista Digital. “He threw eggs at me because he’s a deranged person, and I don’t think there’s any justification for it. They’ve arrested him, they’ve taken him away and, well, we’ll have to take action against him because I honestly thought he was armed.”
According to The Guardian, police confirmed that a man has been arrested in connection with the attack. Both the attacker and the police have declined to confirm a familial connection.
The attack and book come after a lengthy sexual assault legal battle
Rubiales’s book is a memoir focused on his perspective of the Women’s World Cup 2023 kiss that rocked the soccer community. After the Spanish team won, Rubiales was congratulating the team when he kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips. Hermoso stated that she was not expecting nor did she like the kiss, and the moment became a rallying cry for accountability.
Rubiales posted an apology video shortly after the incident. According to reports, he tried to convince Hermoso and team captain Ivana Andrés to participate in the video. Both declined. The apology video added to the growing anger of Spanish citizens and officials. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez condemned Rubiales’s actions, calling the apology video inadequate.
In September 2023, a formal complaint was filed for sexual assault and coercion against Rubiales for the kiss. The case started in early February 2025. Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault against Hermoso on Feb. 20, 2025. The court dismissed the coercion charges. Rubiales was ordered to pay €10,800 (about $12,500). An appeals court upheld the original court decision, but Rubiales’s legal team plans to appeal to the Spanish Supreme Court.
The Women’s World Cup 2023 kiss reignited calls for justice for women in Spanish sports. The incident launched the #SeAcabó movement. Players from Spain’s women’s soccer team used their collective voices to bring attention to sexual abuse in Spanish society.
