Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales has issued an apology for his celebratory kiss with Spain forward Jenni Hermoso, which occurred after the country’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final.
The incident sparked controversy and drew criticism from various quarters.
The kiss took place during the presentation ceremony following Spain’s 1-0 win over England in the final match.
Despite the public display of affection, Hermoso later expressed her discomfort on Instagram. However, a subsequent statement released on her behalf defended Rubiales.
In response to the growing criticism, Luis Rubiales publicly acknowledged his mistake on Monday.
“I was completely wrong, I have to admit it.” He further explained, “It was without bad intention at a time with a lot of excitement. In the moment, we saw it as natural, but outside a commotion has formed,” he said.
Rubiales continued, “I have to apologize, learn from this, and understand that when you are president you have to be more careful.”
The act had generated criticism from Spanish government ministers and triggered discussions on social media platforms.
Spain’s Minister of Equality, Irene Montero, deemed the act a form of “sexual violence women suffer on a daily basis.” She asserted that such actions should not be normalized and called for a stronger stance against them.
Spain’s Sports Minister, Miquel Iceta, expressed that it was “unacceptable” for Rubiales to kiss Hermoso without her consent.
He emphasized the need for Rubiales to provide explanations and apologies, labeling it as the logical and reasonable course of action.
In the aftermath of Hermoso’s initial comment expressing her dislike for the kiss, the Spanish football federation released a statement on her behalf.
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It described the moment as a “natural gesture of affection” and attributed it to the immense joy of winning the World Cup.
Rubiales’ actions garnered significant backlash on social media, with the hashtag ‘dimision ya’ (translated to ‘resign now’) trending on the platform formerly known as Twitter in Spain.
Rubiales had initially dismissed critics as “idiots and stupid people” but offered a more remorseful stance in his later apology.
Spanish newspaper El Pais ran a headline that read “Jenni didn’t like Rubiales’ kiss, neither did we.” Despite the controversy surrounding the kiss, Spain managed to clinch the Women’s World Cup title, overcoming the turmoil that had surrounded their coach, Jorge Vilda, prior to the tournament.