Fury as Luis Rubiales kissed World Cup winning player Jenni Hermoso on the lips
Spanish Football Association president Luis Rubiales is facing criticism today after footage emerged of him appearing to grab his testicles in an obscene gesture next to Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter Sofia.
The soccer chief sparked controversy by kissing World Cup-winning player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during yesterday’s trophy presentation in Sydney after Spain’s 1-0 win over England.
Left-wing Spanish politicians branded the 45-year-old’s kiss, which Hermoso admitted after the match she hadn’t liked, an act of ‘sexual violence.’
Irene Montero, the country’s acting Equality Minister, said in a stinging attack on Rubiales: ‘We shouldn’t assume that kissing someone without their consent is something ”that happens”.
‘It’s a form of sexual violence women suffer regularly and up until now invisibly that we cannot normalise.’
Además de darle un beso en la boca no consentido a la futbolista Jenni Hermoso mientras le agarraba la cabeza —un acto que puede constituir la comisión de un delito—, Rubiales también celebró la victoria de la selección agarrándose los testículos junto a la reina y la infanta. https://t.co/c5NBU4OTrH pic.twitter.com/QdVIpbHgzt
— Pablo Echenique (@PabloEchenique) August 20, 2023
Rubiales attempted to laugh off the criticism by insisting it was a peck on the lips ‘between two friends celebrating something’ and urging people to ignore ‘the idiots.’
But today he was thrust into the spotlight again after appearing to deliberately grab his testicles and thrust his private parts towards Spain’s female footballers during an energetic celebration after the final whistle had blown from the stands at Stadium Australia.
Queen Letizia and her young daughter Sofia were stood right beside him when he made his obscene gesture after punching his fists repeatedly in the area.
Spanish politician Pablo Echenique, a member of hard-left wing party Podemos, raged: ‘As well as giving Jenni Hermoso a non-consensual kiss on the lips while he grabbed her head, an act that could represent the commission of a crime, Rubiales also celebrated Spain’s victory grabbing his testicles next to the queen and her daughter.
He also posted a photo of the Spanish FA president planting a sloppy kiss on the left cheek of goalscorer Olga Carmona, who learnt after the match her father had died, and wrote on his Twitter feed: ‘Here he is too with Olga Carmona.
‘It seems this guy was drooling over and stalking the whole team.’