FORMER Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales told his trial on Tuesday he was “totally sure” Jenni Hermoso consented to his kiss on her lips in 2023 that sparked global outrage.
The case has riveted the country since opening on February 3 and has turned Hermoso into an icon of the fight against macho culture and sexism in sport.
Rubiales was forced to resign in disgrace in 2023 after kissing Hermoso following Spain’s triumph at that year’s Women’s World Cup in Australia.
Prosecutors are seeking two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault for the forced kiss and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso, 34, to downplay the incident.
Rubiales, 47, told Spain’s National Court he was “totally sure” Hermoso consented to the kiss during the medal ceremony after the final.
“She squeezed me very tightly under my armpits, she lifted me, and when I came down I asked her if I can give you a kiss, and she said ‘OK’, that’s what happened,“ he said.
“What happened had no importance neither for me nor for her,“ Rubiales added during his highly anticipated testimony, describing the kiss as “an act of affection”.
An expert in lip reading had told the court on Tuesday that Rubiales asked Hermoso “can I give you a kiss?” based on video footage where the star player’s face could not be seen.
Rubiales conceded he “made a mistake” on the podium and that his behaviour “was not appropriate”, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been committed.
Hermoso ‘overwhelmed’
Hermoso told the opening day of the trial she felt “disrespected” after a non-consensual kiss that “should not happen in any social or work setting”.
Her teammates have described how she cried and felt “overwhelmed” following the incident, while her brother Rafael Hermoso has said she came under pressure to downplay the incident to save Rubiales.
Rubiales denied the charge of coercion, saying he did not participate in the drafting of a statement in Hermoso’s name that sought to calm the growing furore.
He said Hermoso rejected a suggestion to appear in a video alongside him and instead “wanted to celebrate the World Cup”.
Rubiales responded with a blunt “no” when the prosecutor asked him if he had manipulated people close to Hermoso to put pressure on the all-time top scorer for the national women’s team.
Prosecutors are also seeking 18 months’ jail against former women’s team manager Jorge Vilda and two ex-federation officials, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque, for alleged coercion.
Fall from grace
Rubiales minimised the importance of the kiss on Hermoso at the time and defied calls for his resignation at an emergency federation meeting in August 2023, railing against “false feminism”.
He resigned in September that year after FIFA suspended him and Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation into alleged sexual assault.
Rubiales embraced controversy during his tumultuous five-year reign at the helm of the football federation.
He expanded the Spanish Super Cup to a four-team format and signed a lucrative deal to move the competition to Saudi Arabia, angering traditionalists and human rights activists.
Prosecutors are also investigating alleged financial irregularities totalling millions of euros related to the Super Cup relocation that involved a company owned by former Barcelona great Gerard Pique.
Rubiales has dismissed the allegations as “falsehoods”.
