The president of the Spanish football federation apologized after a sudden kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso during the Women’s World Cup victory celebrations. This action sparked outrage. In addition, Spain’s second deputy prime minister called for his resignation.
The incident occurred on Monday (21/8/2023) when federation president Luis Rubiales handed the gold medal to the Spanish team. They beat England 1-0 in the final, the day before.
“Of course I was wrong, I have to admit it,” Rubiales said in a video statement sent by the federation. “It happened without bad faith,” he added.
When the team landed in Madrid on Monday night following their win in Australia, Rubiales refused to answer questions about the incident. “This is a time to enjoy and celebrate. We have won the World Cup,” he said.
After the kiss, Hermoso told her team-mates in the dressing room she didn’t like it, according to video footage posted on Instagram and YouTube by newspaper El Mundo and other media. But she later commented on the incident in a statement sent to the Spanish news agency EFE by the federation. “It was a totally spontaneous joint movement sparked by the great joy of winning the World Cup,” the statement said. “He and I have a good relationship, his behavior with all of us is always rated 10 (out of 10) and this is a natural gesture of affection and gratitude,” she added.
Post-match video footage also depicts Rubiales kissing other players on the cheeks or hugging them while handing them medals. Standing beside the Queen of Spain, Letizia, and one of her teenage daughters in the stadium seats, Rubiales enthusiastically celebrated the win, including grab his groin as he celebrated the final whistle.
The issue of gender is a strong topic in Spain. The government led by the Socialist Party has carried out a series of legal reforms around gender change, abortion and sex work. But a loophole in his law on sexual consent allowed rapists to walk free from prison, which resulted in a heavy defeat for the leftist Podemos party, which is in the governing coalition, in elections last July.
