Spanish Football Star Jenni Hermoso Tells Prosecutors About World Cup Kiss-Gate

Spanish media outlets broadcast FIFA World Cup player Jenni Hermoso's statement to prosecutors on Monday (October 9) in a trial against disgraced former Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) chief Luis Rubiales.

The star player revealed her version of the kissing incident in Sydney after Spain's 1-0 win against England for the first time in court, the BBC reported.

She told prosecutors that she "clearly...felt disrespected" as a player and as a person after Rubiales kissed her without her consent. She also complained that her image had been tarnished by the RFEF who did not help her.

"As an employee of that federation, no one protected me," she told prosecutors.

She described hugging Luis Rubiales and telling him: "We've done it." She then said he told her the victory was "thanks to her," put his hands on her head and kissed her on the lips, and that she remembered nothing else.

"I didn't expect it," she was heard saying. "I didn't do anything to land myself in that situation.... How could I expect it in that scenario of a medal ceremony at a World Cup final?"

Hermoso's Struggle to Keep Composure

While providing her testimony, Hermoso, 33, broke down when she explained the pressure she has since come under, to the extent of "having to leave Madrid so as to avoid that pressure."

She further recalled she immediately told teammates Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes what had happened in the stadium, but that she had not tried to do anything to steal the limelight.

However, even before the team left the stadium, football federation officials approached her and then asked her to get off the team bus during the journey to sign a press statement sent to the world's media indicating the kiss was mutual.

"I didn't say a single word of that text," she added. "I felt coerced again."

Hermoso also told the court that she tried to process what happened without spoiling the celebration. She further recalled that Rubiales approached her on the plane back to Madrid, asking her to appear in a video with him, for the sake of his two daughters who were crying.

Other Trials

Hermoso's testimony came before former Spanish women's team coach Jorge Vilda appeared on Tuesday (October 10) before a judge investigating whether he was part of an attempt to exert pressure on the Spain forward to say the kiss was consensual.

Vilda has denied seeking to coerce Hermoso and argued he did not witness the kiss as he was at the back of the group receiving their winners' medals. However, he has apparently admitted speaking to her brother on the flight home from Sydney to Madrid when he realized she was unhappy.

The RFEF's marketing director, Rubén Rivera, was also due to appear before the judge on Tuesday. He too has denied trying to persuade Hermoso or her brother to absolve Luis Rubiales from any blame, reports say.

Tags

Fifa, Football, Soccer, Spain