Former Spanish football boss pelted with eggs by uncle at book launch

Former president of Spain's football federation Luis Rubiales had eggs thrown at him during a book launch in Madrid, an attack he said was carried out by his uncle.

Rubiales, 48, was presenting his new book "Matar a Rubiales" (Killing Rubiales) at the Espacio Eventize media room in the Spanish capital on Thursday when a man in the audience began hurling eggs.

"It was my uncle, my blood uncle, who is a troublemaker and always has been," Rubiales told Radio MARCA.

"He came in with some eggs and threw them at me, but I didn't know what he had in his hands, and when I saw him burst in, I thought he was carrying a gun."

Rubiales was forced to quickly spin away to avoid at least two of the eggs, with one splattering on a screen nearby.

The book details his fall from grace after kissing a female player.

In February, Spain's High Court found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for kissing forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent during Spain's 2023 Women's World Cup victory celebrations in Sydney.

Hermoso insisted she had not given permission for the kiss and that Rubiales had "stained one of the happiest days" of her life and "disrespected" her.

He was fined more than $11,662 and received a three-year ban by football's world governing body FIFA. 

The incident caused a nationwide furore about sexism in Spanish society and women's football, fuelling momentum for the "Me Too" movement in the country.