Update

They say that Spanish men have complicated relationships with their mothers. That is obviously the case with Luis Rubiales, the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. 

I read this morning that Rubiales mother is now on hunger strike in a church. She is apparently protesting his innocence in the debate about whether the kiss he planted on Jenni Hermoso's lips was consensual. 

I can't help but feel that the situation has got out of hand.  

I doubt whether anyone would think that it was appropriate for Rubiales to kiss Hermoso on the lips in the way that he did. 

Having made the mistake, his best course of action would have been to apologise unreservedly. It was a moment of euphoria where he got carried away. That may have or may not have settled the matter but at least it would have been better than trying to excuse the kiss by saying it was consensual. 

At the same time, Hermoso did not express her concern about what happened until much later. 

Now we have a situation where the ladies say they will not play for their country whist Rubiales is President. The Federation is standing behind their man, mostly everyone else is saying he should go. Where this will end is anyone's guess. To lose your job for a kiss seems extreme. 

When they are gone, they are gone!

I still  have six paintings for sale. 

The deal is this: you offer me what you'd like to pay for my work and I donate 100% of  the proceeds to Acuerdate de mi (the Alzheimer's Association here in Bigastro).  

All the paintings are ready to hang with wire at the back. Buyers collect the paintings from my house and pay in cash. 

If you are interested, contact me at keithwilliamson@telefonica.net 

Here are the paintings:

Todavía tengo seis cuadros a la venta.

El trato es este: tú me ofreces lo que te gustaría pagar por mi trabajo y yo dono el 100% de lo recaudado a Acuerdate de mí (la Asociación Alzheimer de Bigastro).

Todos los cuadros están listos para colgar con alambre en la parte posterior. Los compradores recogen los cuadros en mi casa y pagan en efectivo.

Si estás interesado, contáctame en keithwilliamson@telefonica.net

Aquí están las pinturas:

Herbaceous border: Oil on canvas 80 x 50 cms

Parc Guel, Barcelona: Oil on canvas 80 x 50 cms

Cuenca: Acrylic on canvas 80 x 55 cms

Selection of fruit: Acrylic on canvas 50 x 35 cms

Towards the Sierra Callosa: Oil on canvas 80 x 50 cms.

Orihuela from the River Segura: Oil on canvas 80 x 50cms. 

It should not have turned out like this

When the Spanish ladies football team won the World Cup in Sydney, it should have been a reason for great celebrations. Indeed there were celebrations but they have now been overshadowed. 

The team coach, Jorge Vilda, was ostracised by many of the players as the celebrations began. He was at one end of the pitch with his team of helpers and a few of the players, the rest of the players were at the other end. 

The La Roja coach was booed by the crowd when he held the trophy aloft and celebrated victory with barely a pat on the back from his players,

The players claim that Vilda's coaching style did not look after their mental health and well-being and that he often exhibited controlling behaviour. The players alleged that Vildas and his coaching staff searched their bags and claimed they told them to keep their hotel rooms unlocked for inspections.

However, concerns about the coach have paled into insignificance compared the those surrounding Luis Rubiales, the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation. 

Standing alongside,  Queen Leticia and 16-year-old Infanta Sofía — Rubiales celebrated the victory by cupping his testicles with his right hand. A masochistic gesture that he has subsequently apologised for. 

Worse was to come fifteen minutes later.  When team captain Jennifer Hermoso reached Rubiales to receive her medal, he first hugged her, then placed his hands on both sides of her head. and kissed her on the mouth. 

During the celebrations in the changing room, Rubiales made a surprise appearance. He took Hermoso by the shoulder: she leaned away from him, keeping her hips away from his body. He then said that he’d take her on a trip to Ibiza “to celebrate their wedding.”

Calls have been made for Rubiales to resign but he is having none of it. Spain's football federation are holding an urgent meeting today as its president stays defiant in the face of mounting criticism. He claims the kiss was consensual and that this is all about false feminism 

Luis Rubiales has been suspended from all football activity for three months over his conduct at the Women's World Cup final.

Presenting my painting to the Cofradia de San Joaquin.

 

The photos on display

 

The homage to me

Receiving my diploma

Kind words from the Alcaldesa. 

 

Stalemate

Vox party’s hardline attitudes appear to have turned off Spanish voters

Amid internal recriminations over the party’s collapse, the mainstream conservative People’s party (PP) has also been distancing itself from Vox. The PP, which had been expected in the run-up to the election to form a coalition with Vox, emerged as overall winner but is now unable to form a government.

By aligning itself with the far right, the PP has banished any hope of a coalition with conservative Basque and Catalan nationalists, who have supported minority PP governments in the past but will not countenance entering into a coalition that includes Vox.

Pedro Sánchez, the acting prime minister and Spanish Socialist Workers’ party (PSOE) leader, will attempt to stay in his job by winning a vote in the parliament that requires an absolute majority of 176 of the 350 seats.

As he has no overall majority, this is likely to go to a second vote 48 hours later, when only a simple majority is required. However, he will still need the votes of Junts per Catalunya (Together for Catalonia), the conservative nationalist party led by the former Catalan president Carles Puigdemont.

After nearly six years of self-imposed exile in Belgium, Puigdemont had been fading into irrelevance before the election, which has given him an opportunity to return to the limelight. However, his demands – for an amnesty for all those charged in relation to the illegal 2017 declaration of independence and for a binding referendum on Catalan independence – are politically impossible for Sánchez to accept.

If Sánchez cannot form a government this month, Spain will go to the polls again in December, the sixth general election in seven years.

The homage to me

The homage to my work as a photographer last night with the wonderful paintings that members of the art club produced from selected photographs. The exhibition will be on in the Auditorium until the 31st August.