Former RFEF President Luis Rubiales admitted that he had perhaps not been as professional as he should have during the 2023 World Cup celebrations, but denied sexually assaulting Jenni Hermoso and then coercing her or her family to absolve him of guilt publicly. Rubiales could face between one and five years in prison if found guilty.
Rubiales ended up speaking about a number of topics during his testimony, assuring that Barcelona stars Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes asked him to sack then manager Jorge Vilda, a request he denied. When he did, Rubiales claimed that they told him ‘there would be consequences’. Meanwhile a lip-reader also testified that Rubiales did ask Hermoso ‘can I give you a kiss?’, although admitted that he analysed the video from TikTok and was unsure of the source.
He recounted the incident with Hermoso like so.
“When we finished hugging and she gave me permission after or while we were hugging. It was simultaneous, the question, the answer and then came the kiss. It was something spontaneous, as she declared after the game. I asked her if I could give her a peck, she said OK.” Sport quote.
“Everyone saw it. When she squeezes me, my hands stay up, that’s why I hold her head,” Rubiales said, and explained that he did not do so in a way so that she could not escape.
“No, it was in an affectionate way. She did not show any sign of rejection. She left laughing and patted me on the sides. I never did it to fulfill a sexual desire.”
Rubiales also denied in every instance coercing Hermoso or her family to speak publicly on the matter, and denied ordering Vilda or then Sporting Director Albert Luque to do so on his behalf. Ge also claimed that he had nothing to do with the statement that came out in Hermoso’s name, which were not her words. Hermoso gave testimony on Monday of last week, maintaining that the kiss was not consensual, and explaining that afterwards she took into account that her boss had kissed her. The Spain international also noted that the incident ‘disgusted her’.
