Former Football Chief of Football Chief Luis Rubiales at trial through the World Cup kiss
Former President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales on Monday is being tried for a trial, charged with sexual abuse for kissing players Jenni Hermoso, in a case that he feeds on in broad discussions about sexism and consent.
Hermoso should appear as a witness on the day of opening after traveling from Mexico, where he plays club football. The trial lasts until February 19.
While Spain’s players received their medals after defeating England in Sydney to win the 2023 World Cup, Rubiales grabbed Hermosoa’s head and kissed her in her lips. After that, Hermoso said the kiss was not agreeable, while Rubiales insisted that it was.
The incident launched protests and calls for Rubiales resignation, and also entered the political arena. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose left -wing government approved reforms seeking to increase gender equality and ensure consent in sexual intercourse, said Rubiales’ kiss showed that “it is still a long way to do so when it comes to equality and respect between women and men.”
After initially remained defiance and condemned the witch hunt, guided by “false feminism”, the president of the Federation eventually resigned, before the legal allegations were filed against him.
Prosecutors urge Rubiales to receive a one -year prison sentence for a sex attack for kiss. They also invite him to be sentenced to a year and a half for coercion, because he allegedly tried to press Hermos to say publicly that the kiss was agreement. Rubiales denies charges.
Three colleagues from Rubiala were also charged with conflict in the alleged forced: Jorge Vilda, coach of the foreign World Cup, Rubén Rivera, former head of the Federation Marketing and former sports director Albert Luque. Everyone denies charges.
Isabel Fuentes has been watching the women’s national team closely since she was among the first women to represent Spain in football since 1971 onwards. She describes an anger caused by a kiss of Rubiales as “very sad” because she overshadowed the win at the World Cup, which, when mentioned, brings on the verge of tears.
“It was something we would love to experience, but we were not allowed to do that,” she says. “These players won him for us. They lived our dreams.”
Fuentes played when she was still at the Francisco Franco dictatorship, and the women’s team was not allowed to wear a Spanish flag on his T -shirts.
“The regime said,” We don’t want you to play football, but we’ll just ignore you, “she says.” And the Federation put all the obstacles on our journey. “
Like many fans, she was also worried that controversy Rubiales influenced the international image of Spanish football, and was also shocked by footage showing that the former Federation President of the World Cup was grabbing the crotch while standing just a few meters from the Spanish queen Letizia.
But younger players, like Belén Peralt, prefer to emphasize how much women’s football has arrived, instead of dwelling on the case of Rubiales. Playing for Olympia Las Rozas’s third division, Peralta says she even noticed a shift in terms of attention and support that women’s football has received in the last few years.
“When I was younger, the girls who played football were kind of weird, you were told,” Oh, that’s for boys “or” It’s not a girl’s matter, “she says.” And you go to some places today and say, “” I’m a football player, “and that’s so cool and attractive.”
Her teammate, Andrea Rodríguez, agrees. Although she says she could occasionally hear sexist comments about women’s football, social views are mostly positive.
“People are more open now,” she says.
