On Monday, February 3, Jennifer Hermoso testified before the judge in the case against Luis Rubiales for the non-consensual kiss after the final of the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The player detailed how she lived the moment and the pressures she suffered afterwards to defend the former president of the RFEF. “I felt disrespected,” she said during her testimony.
The legal proceedings were opened after Hermoso publicly denounced that she had not consented to the kiss Rubiales gave her at the medal ceremony. As a result, the Public Prosecutor’s Office brought charges of sexual assault and coercion, in a case that has shaken Spanish football and world sport. “I knew I was being kissed by my boss and that should not happen in any field,” the footballer stressed.
INDIGNATION AT RUBIALES’ RESPONSE
One of the most tense moments of the statement came when Luis Rubiales’ version was addressed, who in his defense claimed that the kiss had been mutual and that “we both like the same thing.” Hermoso reacted with indignation to that statement, labeling it “an unacceptable excuse with an air of arrogance.” “It’s incredible that he tries to justify what happened with that comment. It was an abuse of power and he knows it,” she added.
In addition, the player explained that at the moment of the kiss she felt blocked and unable to react. “I didn’t expect it, it was something that just happened and I had no choice. I was being kissed by my boss and that shouldn’t happen. I felt disrespected,” she said.
PRESSURE AFTER THE INCIDENT
In his testimony, Hermoso denounced that he suffered “countless pressures” to back Rubiales and soften the controversy. “They asked me to come out and say that it had been something spontaneous and natural, but I couldn’t lie,” he confessed. She also explained that she received calls and messages from people linked to the Federation to change her version.
The impact of these pressures led her to feel unprotected by the RFEF. “It was a time when I just wanted to enjoy the World Cup, but I ended up involved in a situation that should never have happened,” she recounted.
THE TRIAL AND ITS REPERCUSSIONS
Rubiales faces charges that could result in up to two and a half years in prison, in addition to disqualification from holding football positions. At the same time, Jorge Vilda and other members of the RFEF management team, who allegedly participated in the strategy to force Hermoso to publicly support Rubiales, are also accused of coercion.
The case, which has generated a huge debate about consent and abuse of power in sport, is still ongoing. “I just don’t want this to happen to any other player. We cannot normalize these behaviors,” said Hermoso, marking a before and after in the fight for respect and equality in football.