Kiss scandal gets messy

Spanish football federation threatens to sue Jenni Hermoso over kiss ‘lies’

Governing body says it will take ‘necessary legal action’ against female players protesting over Luis Rubiales kiss scandal

 The Spanish football federation has threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of a row over its president’s conduct, for lying and defamation.

It has also threatened to sue the 79 women’s football players who signed a letter in which they refused to play for their country as long as Luis Rubiales remained in his post.

In a statement, the federation said it would take the “necessary legal action” and told the players that “playing for the national team is an obligation on any member of the federation called upon to do so”.

The move is the latest chapter in a fast-moving story after Rubiales kissed Hermoso after their World Cup victory a week ago, a kiss Hermoso said was not consensual and made her feel “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression”.

 “At no time did I consent to the kiss,” Hermoso said in a statement. “I won’t tolerate having my word doubted, much less have people inventing things that I didn’t say.”

Shortly after the incident, the federation issued a statement in which Hermoso purportedly said the kiss was consensual and that she and Rubiales enjoyed a close relationship.

A report by the Madrid-based sports website Relevo said the federation had coerced her into making the statement. The federation denied this to the Associated Press.

In a written statement, Hermoso said: “I don’t want to interfere in the legal process but I feel obliged to report that the words used by Sr Luis Rubiales to explain what happened are categorically untrue and are part of the manipulative culture that he himself has created. I have not been respected.”

The federation reproduced a series of still photographs of the incident that it claimed showed that Hermoso lifted Rubiales off his feet and was not only willing but an instigator of the kiss.

Both Rubiales’ rambling speech on Friday, in which he said he was a victim of a witch-hunt and “fake feminism”, and the federation’s defence of him are increasingly seen as a battle that goes far beyond football, in a struggle between an entrenched, entitled male hierarchy and a more modern, feminist Spain.

In an interview with El País, Miquel Iceta, the sports and culture minister, said: “I regret that for Spain, a country admired around the world as a champion of rights and freedoms, this episode has taken us back to an image of machista Spain in which women’s rights are not respected. It’s a backward step.”

Iceta added that as the federation had stood by Rubiales, the government would now take the necessary measures to remove him from his post.

Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting vice-president, said: “Señor Rubiales doesn’t understand what he’s done. He’s not up to the job. He should resign and save us the embarrassment. The days of impunity for macho behaviour are over.”

Hermoso and her colleagues have received support from several male players, among them the Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias, who has also refused to play for Spain under the federation’s current leadership. Sergi Roberto, the Barcelona captain, tweeted: “We’re all with you @jennihermoso.”

The England women’s football team, who lost to Spain in the World Cup final, also offered their support with a message on social media that read: “The behaviour of those who think they are invincible must not be tolerated and people shouldn’t need convincing to take action against any form of harassment. We all stand with you, @jennihermoso and all players of the Spanish team.”

Source: Guardian

 

Luis Rubiales sends FIFA newly-revealed footage of Jenni Hermoso laughing about his kiss - as source close to the under-fire Spanish football chief says the video is 'gold dust' for his case

• New footage has showed Jenni Hermoso joking with her Spain team-mates

• Hermoso is shown to be laughing at memes of her being kissed by Luis Rubiales

• Rubiales has since been given  90-day ban from all football activity by FIFA

Under-fire Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales has sent FIFA a copy of newly released footage showing the women's football team celebrating and joking about his infamous kiss.

The clip was uploaded on to X, formerly Twitter, by journalist Alvise Perez and in it Jenni Hermoso can be seen laughing at a meme of her being kissed by Rubiales.

He has since been given a 90-day ban by FIFA and Spain are looking to kick him out of his role, but he has defiantly refused to quit and even his mum has gone on hunger strike to defend him. 

Now it has emerged he has sent the video to FIFA HQ to try and clear his name and a source close to him told MailOnline: 'This video is gold dust for Rubiales.

'All along we have said for Jenni to tell the truth. There was no sexual assault. If there was why was she laughing and joking?

'She waited more than three days to make a complaint, if she was that offended why not say something straight away and why joke about it with team mates?'

Meanwhile, it has also been confirmed that his mum Angeles Bejar, 72, who has been on hunger strike since Monday in the Divina Patrona church in his hometown of Motril, will have a 'revolving' circle of support.

Initially she was joined by her sister-in-law Mari Carmen Sanchez but she left early today and has now been replaced by her sister.

A town hall official said: 'The family have told us of their intentions and another relative swapped places on Wednesday but Angeles will remain inside the church.

'There is no immediate intention of removing her and she has been checked by a doctor. It is up to her how long she stayed there.'

Suspended Spanish FA chief Rubiales is seeking to defend himself against allegations he committed sexual aggression.

Hermoso was filmed laughing out loud as she showed off a screen grab on her mobile featuring the now-infamous kiss just over a week ago, alongside a photo of former Spanish international Iker Casillas locking lips with reporter and his then-girlfriend Sara Carbonero as she interviewed him live after the men's team won the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Days later, Hermoso denounced it as a 'sexist act' that left her vulnerable.

Another woman on the team bus was overheard laughing: 'Like Iker and Sarah' as Jenni continued to show off her phone.

And a second unidentified female said: 'Long live the story' as the player now being urged by Luis' hunger-striking mum Angeles Bejar to tell the truth drank Cava straight from a bottle.

Jenni, who is being invited by state prosecutors to second a potential criminal prosecution of Rubiales over his controversial action, continued to grin as she responded: 'Haven't you seen it?' before indicating how the kiss which has sparked the 'Kissgate' scandal occurred.

Many of Jenni's 23 team-mates who have said they will refuse to play again for the national team until Rubiales is history, were then filmed singing 'Beso, beso' - Spanish for 'Kiss, Kiss' - as the suspended football chief got on the bus before telling the women jokingly: 'Stop, you're making me blush!'

The leaked footage appeared alongside the hard-hitting message: 'Let's begin @Jennihermoso.

1) Why were you showing off with your teammates and posing as you laughed with the meme of your short kiss with Rubiales?

2) Why are all your team-mates who now say they're scandalised shouting with you at Rubiales 'Kiss' on the bus after seeing the peck on the lips?

3) Why did you ask Rubiales jokingly for a kiss on the bus, and why did you laugh when he replied, 'No, you're making me blush?'

'I don't want you to 'tell the truth' because Spain today knows it.

'I want you to go to prison.'

The tweet finished with hashtags including one that said in Spanish: 'Take note state prosecution service' and another that said: 'Confess Jenni.'

As well as putting the ball firmly back in the Spanish player's court, the video footage is also likely to be of great use to Rubiales in defending himself against any future prosecution.

Hermoso claimed in a statement released last week, days after the team bus footage now emerging was taken, in which she denied Rubiales' claim the post-match kiss was agreed during a brief conversion between the pair: 'I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part.

'I want to make it clear that at no time did the conversation to which Mr. Luis Rubiales refers to in his address take place, and, above all, was his kiss ever consensual. I want to reiterate as I did before that I did not like this incident.'

Spain's far right political party Vox, attempted to cash in on 'Kissgate' by accusing the ruling left wing of government of using the scandal for its own purpose.

In a statement they said: 'We denounce the political and media hunt to which Mr. Rubiales is being personally subjected.

'And we refuse to buy the story of the Left that seeks to hide the failure of the Yes is Yes (consent) law and whitewash those who have promoted it, causing the mass release of sex offenders.

'For this reason, in the face of the institutional declarations condemning Mr. Rubiales promoted by the left, in VOX, we are clear that all this controversy has been generated by the Sanchez government and its media outlets to hide the great problems in which Spain is mired.

'With common sense you can distinguish what is rude or bad manners from what is a crime, and we know how to distinguish it.'

Rubiales' mum Angeles Bejar is nearly 48 hours into a hunger strike at a church in Motril near Malaga where her son grew up.

She has demanded Jenni tell the truth amid accusations she has become a pawn in a battle between Rubiales and enemies who were rooting to oust him over earlier controversies and seized on the kiss to try to destroy him.

Speaking from the inside of the church last night where she began her surprise protest on Monday morning the 72-year-old said, referring to Jenni: 'I just want the truth to be told.

'She knows my son is very honest. If she tells the truth everything will be fixed.'

Speaking of the World Cup kiss that has led to the so-called 'Kissgate' scandal, she added: 'It was an anecdote, as she herself said, and look how far it's gone.

'She should have a conscience and act according to it.

'My son is very worried and has asked me not to continue, to stop, but I will be here until I drop and my body can't continue.'

A cousin of Luis, speaking on Monday outside the church as she also referenced Hermoso, said: 'What's not normal is that this woman is overjoyed because she and her team have won the World Cup and three days later she's saying she's been sexually assaulted.

'Are we all mad! Luis knows his mum is locked inside the church and he's suffering because of it.

'But his mum know what he's like and so do we and we all know what he's like. If he was like the person he's being portrayed as, we'd be the first to stitch up our mouths and bow our heads.

'But when something's been said that's not true, you cannot keep quiet in the face of an injustice.'

Source: Daily Mail