Moments after Spain won the Women’s World Cup, the man who leads the country’s national football federation took some attention from the celebrating players by kissing one of them on the lips, apparently without consent.
Criticism from the Spanish government and the football world rained down on Luis Rubiales for his conduct involving victorious player Jenni Hermoso while revelling in Spain’s 1-0 win over England in Sunday’s final in Sydney, Australia.
By grabbing his crotch in a victory gesture – seemingly oblivious to 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofia standing nearby – and then kissing Spanish player Hermoso on the lips during the medal and trophy ceremony on the field, Mr Rubiales’s behaviour marred the biggest day for women’s soccer in his country’s history.
The federation released a video statement on Monday of Mr Rubiales apologising and acknowledging he “surely made a mistake” but in “a moment of maximum effusiveness”.
“We saw it as something normal, natural and not in any way in bad faith. But outside it seems that a commotion has been created,” Mr Rubiales said in the video.
“When you are president of an institution as important as the federation, you have to be more careful.”
World players’ union FIFPRO said the kiss was “deeply lamentable”.
The 45-year-old Mr Rubiales led the union’s Spanish affiliate for eight years before being elected to lead the national football federation in 2018.
In Spain, acting minister for sports and culture Miquel Iceta told public broadcaster RNE “it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her”.
A stronger reaction came from Spanish government equality minister Irene Montero.
“It is a form of sexual violence that women suffer on a daily basis, and which has been invisible so far, and which we should not normalise,” Ms Montero said wrote Sunday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The kiss was shocking given the sport’s long-standing allegations of sexual misconduct by male football leaders and coaches against female players in national teams.
Two of the 32 World Cup teams, Haiti and Zambia, had to deal with the issue while qualifying for the tournament, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand.
The Spain squad was also in near-mutiny last year on a separate issue because of some players’ complaints about the culture under coach Jorge Vilda.
After the game, when Hermoso passed along the line of dignitaries to collect her medal, Mr Rubiales put his hands to her head and kissed her on the lips. He also hugged several other players and put his arm around Queen Letizia of Spain.
In an Instagram video in the dressing room after the incident, the players screamed and laughed while watching the kiss being replayed on a phone.
Hermoso can be seen laughing and shouting: “But I didn’t like it!”
Asked by other players what she was doing, she shouted: “Look at me, look at me,” intimating she could not do much about it.
Late on Sunday, the Spanish football federation released a statement on behalf of Hermoso to try to settle the controversy.
“It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup,” Hermoso said in the federation’s statement.
“The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been excellent and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”
FIFPRO, which is based in the Netherlands, took a different view.
Champions of the world 🤩
Congratulations to every player whose hard work and dedication gave @sefutbolfem first @FIFAWWC victory today.#FIFAWWC #FIFPRO pic.twitter.com/F8Ziv8Y7nH— FIFPRO (@FIFPRO) August 20, 2023
“It is deeply lamentable that such a special moment for the players of the Spain national team that was taking place before a global television audience should be stained by the inappropriate conduct of an individual in a role carrying so much responsibility,” FIFPRO said in a statement.
“Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context. This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.”
Mr Rubiales also is a UEFA vice president and was the European football body’s most senior elected representative at the final in Australia.
Video clips filmed after the final whistle of Sunday’s match show
