Spain soccer chief threatens legal action against female striker over World Cup kiss
Madrid, 26 Aug (EFE).- Spain’s soccer federation has said it will take legal action against striker Jennifer Hermoso’s remarks about president Luis Rubiales, the RFEF said in a statement early on Saturday.
Rubiales on Friday refused to step down as RFEF president after he kissed Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s World Cup final win against England last week in Australia.
At an RFEF general assembly, Rubiales claimed the kiss was “spontaneous, mutual and consensual” and that he was the target of “false feminism” seeking his “social assassination”.
Hermoso responded to Rubiales’ refusal to quit over the controversial incident via the soccer players’ union Futpro saying she did not consent to the kiss and that during the incident she felt “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression.”
Hermosos went on to describe the kiss as “an impulsive, sexist, out-of-place act without any kind of consent on my part.”
According to Futpro’s statement, Hermoso added 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,” when celebrating Spain’s win on the podium.
In a statement published early on Saturday, the RFEF defended Rubiales’ version of events through the analysis of several images.
“The RFEF and (its) President will prove every lie that is spread either by someone on behalf of the player (Hermoso) or, if it is the case, by the player herself,” the soccer federation said.
“The RFEF and its President, given the seriousness of the content of the press release of the Futpro Union, will initiate the corresponding legal actions,” the statement added.
On Friday many of Spain’s players said they would refuse to play for the national team amid Rubiales’ refusal to step down.
The RFEF recalled that all federated players were under the obligation of playing would they be summoned to join the national squad.
The incident has sparked outrage in Spain and beyond with many ministers calling for the removal of Rubiales from his position.
Fellow soccer players have also rallied behind Hermoso, including Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias who said on Friday he would not be returning to play for Spain’s men’s national team while Rubiales remained in his post.
“Wearing the shirt of the Spanish national team is the greatest thing that has happened to me in my career. I don’t know if at some point I will be an option again, but I have made the decision not to return to the national team until things change and these types of acts do not go unpunished,” the forward said in a statement. EFE
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