Spain footballer Jenni Hermoso accused of 'lying' about kiss with president Luis Rubiales by Spanish FA
Dominic Smithers
Featured Image Credit: Daniela Porcelli/ISI Photos/Getty Images/BBC
The Spanish FA has accused Jenni Hermoso of telling 'lies' about her kiss with Association President Luis Rubiales.
The pair were seen embracing as the Spanish team went up on the podium following their FIFA World Cup final win over England last week.
However, after Hermoso received her medal from Fifa president Gianni Infantino, Rubiales was seen grabbing hold of her head and kissing her.
The incident led to an international backlash for Rubiales, with many calling for him to stand down from his position.
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And in a video released by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales later apologised.
"We are facing a historic event, one of the happiest days in Spanish football," he said.
“We are world champions, something for which we have been working hard and for which we feel proud.
"But there is also a fact that I have to regret.
“And that is all what happened between me and a player, with whom there is a magnificent relationship and where I was surely wrong.
"In a moment of maximum effusiveness without any bad intentions and no bad faith, it happened in a very spontaneous way.
"Here we did not understand the controversy and there has been a commotion outside… that if there are people who have felt damaged because of this, I have to apologise and learn from this, there is no other option.
"I have to learn from this and understand that when I am the president of an institution as important as the Federation, I have to be more careful in ceremonies and this type of issue."
In a statement of her own, after having had time to think about the incident, Hermoso hit back at Rubiales, saying it was not consensual.
She said: "The situation left me in shock because of the context of the celebration, and with the time passed, and those initial feelings being able to sink, I feel the need to denounce this as I feel that no one, in no work space, sporting or social, should be a victim to this time of nonconsensual behaviour.
"I felt vulnerable and a victim of aggression, an impulsive act, sexist, out of place and without any type of consent from my part. In short, I wasn’t respected."
As a result of the outrage over the kiss, it was expected that Rubiales would resign during his press conference yesterday (25 August).
However, he instead made a sudden u-turn, telling the media that he wasn't going anywhere and would fight until the end.
And now, the RFEF has come out and defended him, saying he 'has not lied' and that legal action will potentially be taken against Hermoso and others.
The statement read: "Mr President's feet are ostensibly lifted from the ground as a result of the player's action.
"The tests are conclusive. Mr President has not lied. The RFEF and Mr President will demonstrate each of the lies that are spread either by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player herself."
TYLA has contacted a representative of Jenni Hermoso for comment.