Jenni Hermoso Insists She Didn’t Permit Spain’s FA President To Kiss Her As Revolts Begin

2023 Women’s World Cup winner, Jenni Hermoso, has insisted that she didn’t permit Spain’s FA president, Luis Rubiales, to kiss her.

After Spain beat England 1-0 to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup in Australia, Rubiales was caught on camera holding Jenni Hermoso’s head and planting a kiss on her lips during the medal presentation ceremony.

Before that incident, he was seen holding his groin while standing next to the queen of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter in the VIP section of Stadium Australia.

Due to the incidents, the FA president has been faced with a series of backlash and urged to resign over the alleged misconduct even though he had openly apologized.

He was expected to announce his resignation on Friday, August 25 during an extraordinary general assembly organised by the Spanish FA.

Instead of announcing his resignation, he told the participants that he wouldn’t resign over a kiss and that he kissed Hermoso consensually.

He said: “It was a spontaneous kiss. Mutual, euphoric, and consensual. That’s the key. A consensual ‘peck’ is enough to get me out of here?”

He added, “Do you think this is so serious that I should go, after the best management in the history of Spanish football?

“Let me tell you: I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign. I’m not going to resign.”

Jenni Hermoso Denies Permitting Luis Rubiales to kiss her

In his reaction to claim that she permitted Rubiales to kiss her, Jenni Hermoso has released a lengthy statement to debunk the claim.

She said she was shocked when Rubiales chose to kiss her during the presentation.

She wrote, “Although it is true that for my part I do not want to interfere with the multiple legal processes in progress, I feel compelled to denounce that the words of Mr. Luis Rubiales explaining the unfortunate accident are categorically false and part of the manipulative culture that he has generated.”

She added: “I clarify that at no time did the conversation to which Mr. Luis Rubiales referred to take place and that, far from it, his kiss was consented.”

More backlash against Rubiales

After Rubiales announced that he would not reign for kissing Jenni Hermoso, a series of major actors in Spanish football made negative reactions towards his determination to keep his job amidst the scandal.

There are reports that all the players who won the 2023 Women’s World Cup for Spain have agreed not to play for the country again until Rubiales is sacked. The women are part of the over 81 players that have reportedly signed up to snub the country until the FA president is punished for his alleged misconduct.

Laliga President, Javier Tebas, has also reacted to Luis Rubiales’ alleged misconduct describing it as a “misogynistic gesture” that added to the ‘lists of women who have been aggrieved’ with his handling of women’s football.

Also, former Manchester United goalkeeper and Spain international, David de Gea took to Twitter to write “My ears are bleeding”, after Rubiales said he wouldn’t resign for kissing Jenni Hermoso.

In the same vein, Real Betis and Spain national team forward Borja Iglesias has declared that he wouldn’t play for the country again until Luis Rubiales is punished.

Currently, the world football governing body, FIFA, is investigating the scandal. Also, Government authorities in Spain are reportedly putting up a legal team to prosecute the FA president.