Government appeals to court over Rubiales kiss: 'Me Too of Spanish football'

The row over Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales' kiss of player Jenni Hermoso could be the "Me Too" moment of Spanish football, Spain's secretary of sport said Friday.

"I think we can say it is the Me Too of Spanish football," Victor Francos, who is also the president of Spain's sport council, told journalists just hours after Rubiales announced he would not step down.

"There has to be a change. The government wants to warn, to be very clear and say that there are things that can't happen again," he added.

The government will "initiate proceedings" to require Rubiales to explain himself before Spain's administrative court as soon as possible, Francos said.

If the court rules that the kiss is in violation of the professional sports code, the sports council could then suspend Rubiales, he added.

"What Rubiales has done is fuel the controversy," Francos said, before adding that the football federation chief could not be suspended without a court ruling against him first.

The global #MeToo movement took off in 2017, prompted by accusations of sexual misconduct against Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.

Women around the world took to social media to disclose sexual harassment and assault across workplaces, governments and campuses, spawning investigations and toppling high-profile men from positions of power.