Kiss from Spanish football president triggers post-Women's World Cup final revolt
Midfielder Jenni Hermoso made a statement during a live broadcast on social media, after receiving a kiss on the lips from the president of the Spanish Football Federation, stating that "didn't like it". He, in turn, rejected suggestions that the kiss given to the player during the post-match ceremony was inappropriate.
Rubiales, kissed the athlete during the Women's World Cup awards ceremony - Photo Reproduction/Internet
The President of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, provoked criticism after giving a kiss on the lips of striker Jenni Hermoso, on the heels of Spain's 1-0 victory over England in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney on Sunday night (The Afternoon in Brazil). This gesture, which took place during an official post-match ceremony on stage, was caught on camera and sparked outrage on social media.
Episode
The incident occurred during the awards ceremony for Spanish players. The leader distributed kisses on the podium, even coach Jorge Vilda was not spared.rubiales hugged the midfielder, held her face and kissed her. However, the episode involving the player quickly went viral on social media and caused discomfort among Spaniards.The athlete expressed her discontent directly from the locker room in a live broadcast on her social networks, stating that she did not like the situation.
Reactions
In subsequent statements to the press, she wanted to clarify your perspective,stating that the gesture was a demonstration of genuine affection. In comments made to the Agency France-Presse (AFP), she emphasized that it was a mutual, totally spontaneous gesture, motivated by the immense joy that winning the World Cup brought.
“The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior towards all of us has been remarkable and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude”, he declared.Beautiful.
Rubiales dismissed any suggestion of inadequacy regarding the gesture. In an interview with COPE, still on Sunday, he explained that it was a kiss between two friends celebrating an achievement, categorically rejecting those who interpreted it differently, classifying them as foolish and ignorant.He added asking to ignore them and enjoy the good stuff.
The reaction to the kiss continued to be the main theme in Spanish news this Monday (21), with the minister of equality in the interim government, Irene Montero, describing it as "a manifestation of sexual violence that women face daily and thatuntil now it has been invisible”on the social networks. She emphasized that she should not normalize such behavior.Your opinion received support from the journalist Nadia Tronchoni, who leads the sports coverage of the newspaper El País. According to her, this amounts to an invasion of someone's personal space, without due consent, an aggressive attitude.
The socialist politician Adrián Barbón described it as a complete lack of respect and an abuse that cannot be justified either by the moment, or by the euphoria, or by the joy. Meanwhile, Marta Lois, spokeswoman for the left-wing Sumar coalition,joined many other voices on social media calling for Rubiales' resignation.
Spanish national team
Despite a prolonged period of instability, Spain managed to become champion of the Women's World Cup 2023. Last year, 15 players had declined to participate under coach Jorge Vilda, expressing discontent with his tactics, training methods and management style. At the time, Vilda vigorously defended his approach, deeming the accusations unfair, while the national football federation continued to support him. Later, three players returned to the team and, during the tournament in question, Vilda worked to divert attention to the disputes and keep the focus on football.
During the night of celebration, the federation surprised everyone by revealing that the captain and scorer, Olga Carmona, had received the news that her father had died after the game. The exact time of death has not been disclosed.
