Spain forward Jenni Hermoso testified at Luis Rubiales’ trial on Monday that she did not consent to being kissed by the country’s former top soccer official after winning the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
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On the first day of Rubiales’ trial, Hermoso also said she felt coerced to publicly exonerate the former president of Spain’s Football Federation after the incident in Sydney.
“I felt disrespected,” Hermoso said. It “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
When Rubiales kissed her at the Women’s World Cup final presentation ceremony, it sparked outrage in Spain about the prevalence of sexism in sports and beyond.
The 47-year-old Rubiales, sat in Madrid’s High Court, is accused of sexual assault and of trying to coerce Hermoso, alongside others, to publicly support him.
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Rubiales has denied the charges, claiming the kiss was consensual and happened in a “moment of jubilation”. Facing immense pressure, he resigned three weeks later and was banned by Fifa for three years. Rubiales had said he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”.