Spanish Federation Accuses Jenni Hermoso of 'Lies' About Football Chief's Kiss
Spain's football federation said it would take legal action to defend its president Luis Rubiales, even as he faces a storm of criticism for grabbing star player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissing her on the lips.
The Spanish football federation on Saturday accused Women’s World Cup player Jenni Hermoso’s of “lies" about her kiss with federation president Luis Rubiales and threatened to take legal action.
In a statement issued in the early hours the federation said it would show there have been lies about what happened by Hermoso or people speaking for her. The statement on the Royal Spanish Football Federation website said it would take legal action to defend Rubiales’ honour, but did not say what the action would consist of.
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The federation (RFEF) and Rubiales said they would “demonstrate each of the lies that have been spread, whether in the name of the player, if that is the case, or by the player herself" .
It would take “as many legal actions as necessary to defend the honour of the President of the RFEF."
Hermoso said on Friday she did not consent to being kissed on the lips following Spain’s World Cup triumph against England, as Rubiales had claimed.
Rubiales refused to resign on Friday despite widespread criticism, saying he was the target of a campaign to get rid of him.
In a fiery speech, he said the kiss was “mutual, euphoric and consensual" and Hermoso had said “OK" when he asked her if he could give her “a peck".
He also asserted that “she was the one who lifted me in her arms and brought me close to her body".
However Hermoso hit back strongly against his claims, saying she felt “vulnerable and the victim of an assault".
“I want to clarify that at no time did I consent to the kiss that he gave me and in no case did I seek to lift up the president," Hermoso said in the statement released through her Futpro union.
Hermoso has joined a strike of women players in protest at Rubiales’ behaviour.
Rubiales had been widely expected to resign at an emergency meeting of the federation on Friday. Instead he said repeatedly that he would not quit and complained that “false feminists" were “trying to kill me".
Acting Labour Minister Yolanda Diaz called his speech “unacceptable". She wrote on social media: “The government must act and take urgent measures: impunity for macho actions is over. Rubiales cannot continue in office."
Gender issues have become a prominent topic in Spain in recent years. Tens of thousands of women have taken part in street marches protesting against sexual abuse and violence.
The Socialist-led coalition government has presided over legal reforms including around equal pay, abortion, sex work and transgender rights.
(With inputs from Agencies)
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