Spain football kiss 'stained' World Cup win, player tells trial

Jenni Hermoso, a key player in Spain's 2023 World Cup-winning football team, has described how the kiss from former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales "stained one of the happiest days of my life." She was the first witness at Rubiales' trial in Madrid, where he faces charges of sexual assault and coercion.

During her testimony, Hermoso emphasized that "my boss was kissing me, and this shouldn't happen in any social or work setting." The kiss, which occurred during the medal ceremony following Spain's World Cup victory in Australia, sparked widespread outrage, leading to protests and calls for Rubiales' resignation. Rubiales, however, denies any wrongdoing.

Hermoso testified in court that she never gave consent to be kissed and felt "disrespected" as a woman.

"I greeted the queen, I greeted her daughter, and then I met Rubiales," she explained. "We hugged and celebrated, and then he grabbed my ears and kissed me on the mouth."

"I didn’t hear or understand anything at that moment," she continued. "A kiss on the lips is something I decide when it happens."

She added that no one checked on her well-being after the kiss. "I felt completely abandoned by the federation," Hermoso said.

She went on to explain that she continued celebrating the "greatest achievement" of her life with her teammates, despite the incident. "There was no time to cry or hide in the corner of the locker room."

At first, her teammates made light of the situation, but then Irene Paredes intervened, telling everyone, "Stop, this is serious."

Hermoso also revealed that she was later pulled aside and asked to give a statement downplaying the incident, which she refused to do.

She further shared that Rubiales requested her to record a video with him on the flight home, as he was facing accusations of assault on social media. "I told him no, I wasn’t going to do anything, and that I wasn’t the cause of this."

Hermoso noted that during the flight, Rubiales was surrounded by people, and she saw his daughters crying.

Jenni Hermoso has told the court that the kiss she received from Spain's former football president, Luis Rubiales, at the 2023 World Cup "stained one of the happiest days of my life."

Hermoso, the first witness in Rubiales' trial, described the incident as one of sexual assault and coercion. The Spanish World Cup champion explained that she had never given permission for the kiss, which occurred during the medal ceremony in Australia, and felt "disrespected" as a woman. She told the court, "My boss was kissing me, and this shouldn't happen in any social or work setting."

The kiss sparked widespread controversy, with protests and calls for Rubiales' resignation. Rubiales denies any wrongdoing.

Hermoso described how, after greeting the queen and her daughter, she met Rubiales. They hugged and celebrated, but then he grabbed her by the ears and kissed her on the mouth. She said, "I didn’t hear or understand anything," adding that "a kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so."

Hermoso said no one checked on her after the incident. She felt "completely abandoned by the federation" as she continued to celebrate with her teammates, noting there was no time for tears or to hide in the locker room. Initially, her teammates joked about the kiss, but Irene Paredes intervened, saying, "Stop, this is serious."

Soon after, Hermoso was asked to consent to a statement downplaying the incident, which she refused. She also shared that Rubiales asked her to record a video with him on the flight home, as he faced accusations of assault on social media. She declined, stating, "I wasn’t the cause of this."

Hermoso said the aftermath of the incident has deeply affected her life. She received death threats, which forced her to leave Madrid with her family, and now plays for a club in Mexico while continuing to represent Spain.

Prosecutors are calling for a one-year prison sentence for Rubiales for sexual assault and an additional sentence for coercion, as he allegedly pressured Hermoso into publicly claiming the kiss was consensual. Rubiales denies the charges.

At the time of the incident, Rubiales claimed the kiss was consensual and condemned the backlash as a "witch-hunt" by "fake feminism," before resigning from his position. Three of his former colleagues are also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to minimize the incident.

The trial is expected to continue until February 19. Spain's Equality Minister Ana Redondo praised Hermoso for her "bravery" ahead of the trial.