Luis Rubiales criticised by Spanish Prime Minister for kissing Jenni Hermoso during World Cup celebrations
The Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England on Sunday was a momentous occasion for the Spanish team, who emerged victorious after a hard-fought 1-0 win. However, the celebrations have since been overshadowed by the actions of Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, who kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the medal ceremony.
The incident has sparked a huge backlash, with Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez saying that Rubiales’ apology “is not enough” and calling his actions “unacceptable”. Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz has even called for Rubiales’ resignation.
What happened?
As the Spanish team made their way up to collect the World Cup trophy, Rubiales embraced each member of the squad. However, when he came to Hermoso, he grabbed her by the head and kissed her on the lips.
Hermoso said in an Instagram live from the dressing room afterwards that she ‘didn’t like it’ but then later on Sunday released a fuller statement describing it as a ‘spontaneous mutual gesture’.
This did little to quell the backlash, and Rubiales posted a video message on Monday apologising and saying he would ‘learn’ from his actions. However, Spanish outlet Relevo claim that Hermoso’s statement was written by the RFEF and she was not aware of its contents.
Political fallout
The incident has now become a political matter, with Sanchez saying that Rubiales’ apology does not suffice. Diaz went even further and called for Rubiales’ resignation.
‘Their excuses are useless,’ she said. ‘[The Spain squad] have shown us many things about equality, not only in sports and football. They have shown us that there is still a lot to do in our country, that there is still a lot to do so that men and women can become equal.’
Rubiales was also under fire for his celebrations in the VIP area of Sydney’s Stadium Australia, where – just a few seats down from Queen Letizia of Spain – he grabbed his groin as he celebrated the final whistle.
What now?
It remains to be seen what action will be taken against Rubiales, but it is clear that his actions have caused a huge amount of controversy and have overshadowed what should have been a moment of celebration for the Spanish team.
It is also clear that there is still a long way to go for gender equality in Spain, and that Rubiales’ behaviour has highlighted this issue in a stark way.