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SEXISM

Spain’s football federation backtracks and apologises for boss’s kiss

Spain's footballing body has backtracked on its initial support of Luis Rubiales by sending its "most sincere apologies" for his "totally unacceptable behaviour" when forcibly kissing Women's World Cup player Jenni Hermoso.

Published: 5 September 2023 16:40 CEST
Spain's football federation backtracks and apologises for boss's kiss
Suspended RFEF President Luis Rubiales delivers a speech during an extraordinary general assembly of the federation on August 25, 2023 in Las Rozas de Madrid. Photo: Eidan RUBIO / RFEF / AFP

The RFEF offered its “most sincere apologies… for the totally unacceptable behaviour of its highest institutional representative during the final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2023 and in the moments that followed”, it said in a statement.

Rubiales, 46, sparked worldwide outrage when he forcibly kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain defeated England to win the Women’s World Cup in Sydney on August 20th.

He has been suspended by FIFA pending an investigation but has refused to resign, defending the kiss as “just a peck” which he claimed was consensual.

But Hermoso said it was not and it had left her feeling like the “victim of an assault”.

“The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and to the values of football and sport as a whole has been enormous,” the RFEF said in extending the apology to FIFA, UEFA “and especially the players of the Spanish national women’s team”.

Rubiales’ statements after the incident were “inappropriate and meaningless” and “not (the position) of the RFEF” which was “saddened and embarrassed” by the distress they had caused.

The federation, which initially came under fire for not calling for Rubiales’ resignation until eight days after the incident and threatening legal action against Jenni Hermoso for her “lies”, said on Tuesday it had opened an investigation into his actions in order “to ensure that such behaviour is not repeated”.

It had also committed to conducting “a thorough review of all policies and procedures of the organisation”, pledging to present “in the coming days a whole set of actions to improve the governance of the Spanish football federation and to repair, as far as possible, the damage caused”.

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FOOTBALL

Rubiales to go on trial in Spain over unwanted kiss in February

Disgraced former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will stand trial in February next year for his unsolicited kiss on the lips of Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, the court overseeing the process said Monday.

Published: 17 June 2024 14:19 CEST
Rubiales to go on trial in Spain over unwanted kiss in February

Rubiales, 46, provoked worldwide outrage by kissing Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain beat England to win the World Cup in Australia last year.

In May a court had ruled Rubiales should be tried for sexual assault over the kiss, and for the alleged coercion subsequently exerted to make her say that it was consensual, without setting a date.

The trial will be held at the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court in charge of complex cases, from February 3 to 19, the court said in a statement.

Public prosecutors have requested a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison for Luis Rubiales — one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion.

The prosecution is also asking for two years’ probation once the sentence has been served and for him to pay 50,000 euros ($54,000) in compensation to the player.

Rubiales is also under investigation in a separate alleged corruption case involving his reign at the federation, has denied any wrongdoing.

Three of his former associates are also being tried for putting pressure on Hermoso: former women’s coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team director Albert Luque and federation marketing boss Ruben Rivera.

The kiss took place live in front of the world’s cameras, provoking widespread outrage and prompting his suspension by world football governing body FIFA.

At the time, Rubiales brushed it off as “a consensual” peck on the lips, but Hermoso, 34, said it was not.

Under Spanish law, a non-consensual kiss can be classed as sexual assault — a criminal category that groups all types of sexual violence.

Rubiales told private Spanish television station La Sexta in April that he could not understand how the kiss he gave Hermoso could be labelled as sexual assault, saying there was “no sexual context” to it.

He denied accusations that he and other federation officials coerced Hermoso by pressuring her to speak out in his defence after the scandal erupted.

“I have a clear conscience, things have been blown out of proportion,” Rubiales said.

Hermoso filed a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, telling the judge she had come under pressure to defend him both on the flight back from Australia and on a subsequent team holiday to Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.

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