FORMER Spanish Football Federation chief, Luis Rubiales, said Tuesday that he asked Women’s World Cup winner Jennifer Hermoso for permission before kissing her during the on-field medal ceremony for Spain’s victory in 2023.
During testimony at his sexual assault trial in Madrid, Rubiales said he asked Hermoso if he could kiss her prior to the incident.
Hermoso, 34, has said that Rubiales did not have consent to kiss her. Rubiales is charged with one count of sexual assault and one count of coercion for the August 2023 kiss.
Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for Rubiales.
On Tuesday, Rubiales said he got carried away in the moment. “It is not this common to win a World Cup… I made a mistake and put my foot in my mouth,” Rubiales told the court.
“I behaved like an athlete who achieves success,” Rubiales said, adding: “I should have acted cold-blooded and played a more institutional role.”
Hermoso, who spoke at the trial earlier this month, said that the kiss “tainted one of the happiest days of my life.”
“I knew I was being kissed by my boss and that should not happen in any social or work environment,” she said.
“Until today it seems that my life has been on standby, honestly I have not lived freely,” Hermoso said.
The kiss was captured on camera during the medal presentation ceremony, and went viral on social media.
Protests followed in a number of Spanish cities, with demonstrators seeking to highlight the continued prevalence of a culture of misogyny in sport, as well as in wider Spanish society.
In response, Rubiales, 47, said that the kiss had been “mutual.” Hermoso has always denied that this is the case.
On February 3, Hermoso testified that Rubiales had pressured her to make a statement downplaying the incident amid a public backlash against him.
“I told him no, that I wasn’t going to do anything,” Hermoso said. “I told him I was sorry, but I wasn’t going to do it.”
On Tuesday, a lip-reading expert called to testify by Rubiales’ legal team told the court that two video clips of the incident showed Rubiales asking Hermoso: “Can I give you a little kiss?”
The expert said that they were unable to see Hermoso’s reaction as the video showed her from behind.
A second expert witness, also called to testify by Rubiales’ team, told the court that the video clips had not been manipulated or altered.
