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Rubiales declines to offer apology for Hermoso kiss after Women’s World Cup final
Luis Rubiales has declined to offer an apology to Jenni Hermoso for the kiss on the lips following Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory and remains firm that the “truth will come out.”
The former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) resigned from his position on Sunday, citing mounting criticism and calls for his resignation as the reason. Rubiales acknowledged that he could no longer carry out his duties in the aftermath of the kiss incident, which Spain forward Hermoso stated was not consensual, occurring after the country’s 1-0 Women’s World Cup final win over England on August 20.
However, during the full interview on TalkTV, the 46-year-old maintained that the kiss was “mutual” and expressed no concern about potential criminal charges. He is set to appear before a court in Spain after prosecutors initiated a case against him for “the crimes of sexual assault and coercion.”
When asked if he would personally apologise to Hermoso, Rubiales said: “So what happened is bad for everyone. We had Jenni lifting me. We had the fleeting kiss, two tenths of a second, but what was created from that is crazy. So what’s left for me is to defend my dignity. So it’s not about that Piers, it’s about humility.”
When asked three more times if he would apologise to Hermoso, he continued: “So what we had is a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was driven by the emotion of the moment, the happiness, so I maintain that that is the truth of what happened.”
Luis Rubiales was observed kissing several members of Spain’s World Cup-winning team on the cheek as they received their winners’ medals and, in some instances, even lifted them in the air. He also lifted Athenea del Castillo onto his shoulders and held her by the back of her thighs during the post-match celebrations. These actions have been a subject of controversy and debate, with differing perspectives on whether they were consensual and appropriate.
When asked if he would have acted the same way towards the men’s team, Rubiales replied: “No doubt about it, 100 per cent… when I was a player, there were many moments where we avoided relegation or we got promotion, where we have given what we call pecks on the lips.”
Luis Rubiales is scheduled to testify as a defendant on Friday as part of the lawsuit against him. Despite the legal proceedings, he appeared to be confident and relaxed when questioned about the situation. It remains to be seen how the case will develop and what the outcome will be.
He said: “I am a lawyer, I am a Spanish citizen, I have been through many processes, criminal as well, and nothing has ever stuck. Again, I have full faith that the truth will come out and everything will be fine. Take a look at my face, I am a good guy. Look at my face, look at me in the eyes.”