Spain ex-football chief's kiss wrong 'in any social or work setting': Hermoso

Spain star Jenni Hermoso testified on Monday during the trial of disgraced former football chief Luis Rubiales, stating that the forced kiss he gave her in 2023 "shouldn't happen in any social or work setting."

Rubiales sparked global outrage when he cupped Hermoso's head and kissed her without consent after Spain defeated England to win the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia.

Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Rubiales, including one year for sexual assault related to the kiss and 18 months for allegedly pressuring Hermoso, 34, to downplay the incident.

Rubiales, 47, has described the kiss as an innocent "peck between friends celebrating" and denied any coercion.

Hermoso, speaking on the opening day of the trial at the National Court in San Fernando de Henares near Madrid, said, "This shouldn't happen in any social or work setting... A kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so."

"As a woman, I felt disrespected. It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life," Hermoso, Spain’s all-time top scorer, added. "For me, it's very important to say that at no point did I seek that act, let alone expect it."

Rubiales is scheduled to testify on February 12 in the highly anticipated trial, which is expected to run until February 19.

Also facing charges alongside Rubiales are former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and two former federation officials, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque. They are accused of attempting to coerce Hermoso, with prosecutors seeking 18 months in jail for them as well.

Hermoso told the court that after the incident, federation officials repeatedly pressured her, her family, and her friends. She recounted enduring intense media scrutiny upon returning to Spain and receiving death threats, with people following her and even taking photos of her while she had breakfast with her mother.

Now playing in Mexico, Hermoso said she had to leave Madrid due to the fear for her safety. "Until today, it feels like my life has been on standby," she said.

The scandal that rocked Spanish football and ended Rubiales' career erupted on August 20, 2023, shortly after the women’s national team won the World Cup in Sydney. As Hermoso joined her teammates to receive their medals, Rubiales grabbed her head and kissed her on the lips, then slapped her on the back twice.

The act sparked widespread condemnation, with critics accusing Rubiales of abusing his power. Hermoso became an emblem of the fight against macho culture and sexism in sport. A recent reform to Spain’s criminal code classifies non-consensual kisses as sexual assault.

“Thank you again, Jenni, for your bravery. Thanks to you and your teammates, we add another victory for feminism,” wrote Equality Minister Ana Redondo on X shortly before the trial began.

Rubiales, who was already under investigation for alleged corruption in his role as federation president, finally stepped down in September 2023, two days after an investigation into the kiss was launched. He had been in charge of the federation since 2018.

In a recent Netflix documentary titled "Se Acabo" ("It's over"), which reflects on the players' anger at how the scandal overshadowed their historic victory, Hermoso revealed she cried after the kiss. She added that "no one came to ask me how I was" and that she felt "completely abandoned by the federation."