12 February 2025
The former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, stated that he asked permission from the player Jennifer Hermoso before kissing her during his country's coronation as the 2023 Women's World Cup champion. Luis Rubiales is accused of sexual assault and coercion after the kiss incident that occurred in August 2023, and the prosecution is demanding a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
Rubiales explained during his testimony in the sexual assault trial , Tuesday, in the capital Madrid, that he asked Hermoso if he could kiss her, before doing so. He explained: "I asked her if I could kiss her.. and I am absolutely sure that she gave me permission to kiss her.. at that moment it was completely spontaneous and automatic."
Jennifer Hermoso had previously said that she did not consent to being kissed by the president of the Spanish Football Federation.
Rubiales admitted he got carried away at the moment, explaining: "It's not common to win a World Cup, I made a mistake and put my foot in my mouth." He added: "I acted like an athlete who achieves success, I should have acted with more coolness and played a more institutional role."
For her part, Hermoso, who spoke at the trial earlier this month, said the kiss "tainted one of the happiest days of my life." She continued: "I knew I was being kissed by my manager, and that shouldn't happen in any social or work environment. Even today it seems my life was on alert, honestly I didn't live freely."
