Amid the general rejoicing over Spain’s world title win in Australia on Sunday, a kiss from the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, on the mouth of player Jenni Hermoso sparked major controversy.
At the medal ceremony for the new world champions, after beating England 1-0, Luis Rubiales was one of the authorities on the podium alongside Queen Letizia to greet the players. Jenni Hermoso received the queen’s greetings and then the president of the federation laid his hands on her head and kissed her on the mouth.
#RubialesOut #Rubialesdimision
He needs to go, this is absolutely disgusting. Feel sorry for Jenni Hermoso #Sp
– Imani W: That Good Craic (@imanilfc) August 20, 2023
The image took Spanish viewers by surprise and Rubiales’ gesture was heavily criticized on social media and by some commentators, while others devalued the “insignificant gesture” and some media in the country saw a replay of the kiss between goalkeeper Iker Casillas and journalist Sara. Carbonero, then a couple, after South Africa’s 2010 world title.
“It is a spontaneous party that comes out like this. The two are very friendly,” sources from the federation tell AFP, while the player herself admitted that she did not like it, even though statements made in a party environment in a live on her social networks from the spa.
“I didn’t like it, did I!” Hermoso said with a laugh, in what appears to be a reaction to his companions’ jokes.
We didn’t assume that giving a kiss without consent is something that ‘happens’. It is a form of sexual violence that women are victims of every day, invisible until now, and which we cannot normalize. This is the task of the whole society. Consent is central. only if you are
– Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) August 20, 2023
The president of the Federation, unaware of the controversy, appears in a story on Instagram by Salma Paralluelo saying that as a prize for winning the cup, the players would go to Ibiza, where they would celebrate Luis and Jenni’s wedding. to attend.
“It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that comes with winning a World Cup. The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior towards all of us was a 10 and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude. said the late Jenni Hermoso, in statements from the Federation.
“One should not speculate on a gesture of friendship and gratitude, we have won a World Cup and we are not going to deviate from what is important,” said Jenni.
The issue of consent was at the center of the debate. The interim minister for equality, Irene Montero, defended that this is “a form of sexual violence that women suffer on a daily basis and hitherto invisible, and which we cannot normalize”.
“Let’s not assume kissing without consent is something ‘that happens'”, he defended, concluding that “only yes is yes”.
We didn’t assume that giving a kiss without consent is something that ‘happens’. It is a form of sexual violence that women are victims of every day, invisible until now, and which we cannot normalize. This is the task of the whole society. Consent is central. only if you are
– Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) August 20, 2023
Source: DN
