Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), has asserted that Jenni Hermoso provided consent for the kiss he bestowed upon her during the Women’s World Cup final medal ceremony in 2023.
Rubiales has maintained to Spain’s National Court that the Spanish striker willingly agreed to the kiss that took place during the medal ceremony.
The 46-year-old generated controversy when he kissed Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s 2-1 victory over England in the World Cup final on August 20.
Hermoso alleged that the kiss was non-consensual, leading to Rubiales resigning from his position three weeks after the incident.
Rubiales informed prosecutors, as reported by El Espanol, “She knows perfectly well that she is being untrue.”
READ ALSO: Rubiales Refuses Apology In Post-World Cup Kiss Controversy
He continued to recount the incident, stating, “At the medal ceremony, I was hugging the players and the coach, when she passed by.
“She comes to me to give me a hug. We hugged, she lifted me up, and I made a gesture so as not to fall, all while having a conversation in which I reminded her – because she had missed a penalty – to cheer her up a little, that without her, we couldn’t have won the World Cup.
“She tells me I’m a crack [an endearing slang term in Spanish], thank you very much.
“And then I ask her, ‘can I give you a little kiss, a little peck?’ And she tells me that it’s okay.”
Prosecutors questioned Rubiales about why he put his arm around Hermoso’s head if she had agreed to be kissed.
He replied, “Well, out of joy,” and added, “She grabs me wherever she can, I grab her too, and that’s it.
“Two or three minutes later they all grabbed me and pulled me up, swinging me.”
Rubiales claimed that he and Hermoso had a brief conversation about the potential backlash to the kiss.
“Hey, Jenni, why don’t we both go out? Let’s end this because this is going to hurt me a lot,” Rubiales claimed to have said.
He further stated that Hermoso replied, “No, look, President Rubi, I’ll pass, I want to enjoy the World Cup, I’m not going to make any more statements.”
READ ALSO: Hermoso Criticizes RFEF’s Manipulative Strategy
According to El Confidencial, Rubiales allegedly pressured an RFEF employee to testify that Hermoso had given her consent to the kiss.
Rubiales is currently prohibited from contacting Hermoso and from being within 200 meters of her.
After the World Cup, many Spanish players signed a statement declaring their intention to boycott playing for the national team until significant structural changes were made.
Their stance did not immediately change after Rubiales’ resignation, but many reported for duty at the end of September, fearing the legal consequences of not doing so.