Luis Rubiales: The mother of the president of the Spanish Football Federation is hospitalized after a hunger strike

CNN
—

The mother of embattled Spanish football president Luis Rubiales, who began a hunger strike in support of her son earlier this week, has been taken to hospital after becoming “sad and dizzy”, according to a local priest.

Angelis Bejar locked herself in Divina Pastora church in her hometown of Motril, southern Spain, on Monday, to protest the treatment of her son after he was banned by FIFA for forcibly kissing World Cup player Jennifer Hermoso. In the final match.

A priest at the church, who identified himself as Father Antonio, told reporters that Bejar was taken to hospital on Wednesday.

“I want to tell you that she had a crisis, her condition deteriorated and they needed to urgently transfer her to the hospital,” Father Antonio said from outside the church.

“So she wasn’t here anymore, and she had to leave for the hospital because the woman was really tired and she had a lot of problems already, even some anemic issues so she had to leave.”

Father Antonio said Bejar felt “pain and dizzy” and complained of an irregular heartbeat.

He said her son Rubiales spoke with his mother before taking her to the hospital.

her son [Luis Rubiales] He called her Yes, he called her and they were in touch. Among all of these [the family] “They decided she needed to go to the hospital,” Father Antonio said.

A friend of Rubiales’ mother told CNN Portugal earlier that she had been “in poor health” recently, but thought she would probably “hold out until the end” of her hunger strike.

Bejar said earlier that her aim was to protest against what she called an “inhumane and bloodthirsty hunt” against her son, according to Spanish media reports.

CNN Portugal reported from the church earlier this week and spoke to a friend of Rubiales’ mother, who called the backlash against Rubiales an “injustice”.

“I don’t think this guy committed sexual assault like they say. That sounds pretty strong to me,” the friend said.

Spain beat England in the World Cup final earlier this month, but the team’s victory was overshadowed by the row surrounding Rubiales and the women’s team’s deep anger at his captaincy.

Rubiales admitted he made a mistake while kissing Hermoso, but claimed the act was consensual. Hermoso insisted that she had not let her kiss her and felt violated by Rubiales’ actions.

Rubiales was suspended by FIFA, the world’s governing body, over the weekend. Under the terms of the suspension, the RFEF appointed an interim president to replace Rubiales within 90 days of banning him from all football-related activities.

On Monday, all 19 regional presidents of the FA called on Rubiales to resign while giving unanimous support to interim president Pedro Rocha.

Pressure has mounted on Rubiales to step down as president of the Spanish Football Federation since he flatly refused to do so during a speech to the federation’s extraordinary general assembly on Friday, pledging to “fight to the end”.

Spanish prosecutors are considering possible sexual assault charges against Rubiales.

He also faces constant criticism from players, politicians, union officials and even the United Nations, with protesters taking to the streets in Madrid on Monday to escalate calls for his resignation.

“We are all very angry about this because all the women have suffered some kind of abuse,” Paloma Torres, the 29-year-old lawyer who protested against Rubiales in Madrid, told CNN on Monday.