Luis Rubiales: Former Spanish chief Fa tells Court Jennifer Hermoso agreed to the Final Kiss World Cup | Football news
Former President of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales repeated on Tuesday, before the referee that striker Jenni Hermoso had given him consent to kiss at the ceremony of the final presentation of women in the 2023 World Cup.
Rubiales is charged with sexual abuse and coercion of allegedly trying to reduce the kiss, which caused resentment in Spain, and celebrating the celebration of the title of the first team of the team.
“I asked her if I could kiss her a little, and she said,” Rubiales said. “I’m completely sure [she gave consent]. “
Hermoso said on the first day of the trial last week that he did not agree.
Three defendants were expected to testify on Tuesday – former coach of the women’s national team Jorge Vilda, former sports director of the Federation Men’s Team, Albert Luque and former marketing chief, Ruben Rivera. Everyone is charged with coercion.
The lip reading expert also testified on Tuesday, saying that Rubiales asked Hermosoa: “Can I kiss you a little?”
The videos are shown with Hermos celebrating and later talks about the kiss.
“No one expected it, but I don’t care, we are world champions, that’s what matters,” Hermoso said in audio files reproduced in a court from an interview he gave shortly after the finals.
“I didn’t like it, but all I can say is that it was part of the moment, it will become nothing more than that, it will come down as an anecdote.
“Whoever wants to do a big deal about it, and those who don’t do it,” she said after a journalist told her that she was talking a lot about a kiss in Spain. “I am very sure that it will not become a big deal, we are champions.”
There was also a video of Rubiala, who told the detachment that he was “sad” for the consequences of the kiss. He apologized and said he “felt bad” that disturbed the celebration. Hermoso saw in the video laughing after his words.
The defense also tried to discredit the previous testimony of Hermos’s brother, who said Vilda pressed Hermos to shoot a video with Rubiales to reduce the situation.
The defense showed an interview with a Hermos brother who reduced the kiss himself. In his testimony, he said that at the time he had reduced the kiss to make sure that the focus was on celebrations.
Rubiales resigned under pressure three weeks after the scandal appeared, and Fifa banned him for three years. He said the victim was “witch hunting” from “false feminist”.
Hermoso testified that Rubiales “felt dishonest” after winning the World Cup. She said the kiss was “staining one of the happiest days of my life.”
The kiss encouraged anger in Spain for the distribution of sexism in sports and beyond.
Prosecutors, Hermoso and Spanish players want Rubiales in prison for two and a half years, fined £ 50,000 (£ 41,700) for compensation and forbidden work as a sports official. They want the other three defendants sentenced to a year and a half years in prison.
