February 12 – Disgraced former Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales came out fighting at his trial on Tuesday, telling the court he was “absolutely sure” Jenni Hermoso gave her consent to his kiss on her lips that sparked global outrage.
Rubiales was forced to resign in 2023 after kissing Hermoso following Spain’s triumph at the Women’s World Cup in Australia.
Rubiales, currently banned by FIFA, told the court: “She squeezed me very tightly under my armpits, she lifted me, and when I came down I asked her if I can give you a kiss, and she said ‘OK’. That’s what happened.
“What happened had no importance neither for me nor for her,” Rubiales added during his highly anticipated testimony, describing the kiss as “an act of affection”.
“I am absolutely sure that she gave me her permission. In that moment it was something completely spontaneous.”
Prosecutors are seeking two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault for the forced kiss and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso, 34, to downplay the incident.
Rubiales conceded he “made a mistake” on the podium and that his behaviour “was not appropriate”, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been committed.
Hermoso told the opening day of the trial she felt “disrespected” and her teammates have described how she was “overwhelmed” following the incident.
But Rubiales denied the charge of coercion, saying he did not participate in the drafting of a statement in Hermoso’s name that sought to calm the growing furore.
He said Hermoso rejected a suggestion to appear in a video alongside him and instead “wanted to celebrate the World Cup”.
Rubiales responded with a blunt “no” when the prosecutor asked him if he had manipulated people close to Hermoso to put pressure on her.
Asked whether he normally kissed people on the lips, he responded that the occasion and the fact he had known Hermoso for a long time warranted it and that he said he would do something similar with a male player or one of his daughters.
“You don’t win a World Cup every day,” he said.
The trial continues.
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