Social Issues

LONDON — Flags and shirts showing support for victims of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict will not be allowed for England's games against Australia and Italy at Wembley, the FA said on Thursday.

England host Australia in a friendly on Friday before taking on Italy in a European Championship qualifier on Tuesday.

"On Friday evening, we will remember the innocent victims of the devastating events in Israel and Palestine," the FA said in a statement.

Norwich City FC have released one of the most genius, emotional and important videos about mental health. The Norwich mental health video was posted on Tuesday for World Mental Health Day.

After just 24 hours the video has accumulated over 43 million views on Twitter and millions more on other platforms. While the video is sad, it’s also so vital and has received high praise not just from the soccer community, but the world.

Norwich mental health video

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Megan Rapinoe will bid farewell to international football with no regrets about her time on and off the pitch, she told a news conference on Saturday ahead of her last game on Sunday, highlighting her support of social causes throughout her career.

OLIVA — Spain's World Cup winning-squad agreed to end their boycott of the national team on Wednesday after the country's football federation (RFEF) said it would make "immediate and profound changes", including reshuffling its top management.

The decision was reached after more than seven hours of meetings at a hotel in Oliva, an hour from Valencia, involving the players, RFEF officials, the National Sports Council (CSD) and the women's players' union FUTPRO.

MADRID - A group of 39 players from Spain, including most of the 23 Women's World Cup-winning squad, said on Friday it wanted further changes at the Spanish soccer federation and that the resignation of chief Luis Rubiales and the replacement of the team's manager was not enough.

In a statement, the women did not clarify whether they would continue to boycott national team matches, but said they had called on the RFEF to restructure Rubiales' former cabinet, the Secretary General, the communications and marketing department and the so-called integrity unit.

MADRID — Spanish regional soccer chiefs demanded federation boss Luis Rubiales resign for grabbing and kissing World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, as the country's caretaker government promised on Tuesday to ensure women play a bigger role in running sports.

J'espère que c'est sa meuf sinon c'est une dinguerie ça. pic.twitter.com/SlZxe8K8gK

The mother of suspended Spanish soccer chief Luis Rubiales locked herself inside a church and started a hunger strike to protest against her son's treatment over his kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the world cup victory, family members said.

"She has gone on hunger strike, she does not want to leave the church," Vanessa Ruiz, a cousin of Rubiales, told reporters outside the parish church of Divina Pastora in the family's home town of Motril, southern Spain.

MADRID — Spanish soccer boss Luis Rubiales refused to quit on Friday for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain's Women's World Cup victory, fuelling anger among players and government ministers who decried his actions as unacceptable macho behavior.

The government cannot sack Rubiales, who is head of the independent Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). But it will seek to suspend him using a legal procedure before a sports tribunal, the head of the state-run sports council, Victor Francos, told reporters.

MADRID — Spanish football federation (RFEF) President Luis Rubiales plans to resign on Friday after FIFA opened disciplinary proceedings against him over his unsolicited kiss on the mouth of player Jenni Hermoso during celebrations after Spain's Women's World Cup victory, Cadena Ser radio reported on Thursday.

Rubiales has been under fire after kissing Hermoso on the lips while handing the team their medals after they beat England 1-0 in the final in Sydney on Sunday.