Spanish Football Association
Rubiales admits mistakes in kissing scandal
Resigned head of the association: Luis Rubiales has failed with his crisis management
© Gabriel Bouys/La Nacion via ZUMA Press / Picture Alliance
Again there are new statements from Luis Rubiales about the kissing scandal. The ex-president of the Spanish Football Association shows slight remorse. But he also tries to justify again.
At the award ceremony after Spain’s final triumph over England in Sydney on August 20, Rubiales grabbed player Jennifer Hermoso’s head with both hands and kissed her on the mouth. Although Rubiales was now remorseful, he again tried to explain his behavior. “Just before that she picked me up, she didn’t ask me about it. It was just a moment of happiness,” he said.
Luis Rubiales: As she walks away, she continues to laugh
“What you also have to understand is that the whole time she’s hugging me at the podium, she’s laughing. As she walks away, she’s still laughing.” At the beginning he also claimed that everything had been done by mutual consent.
The 33-year-old contradicted this representation and filed a complaint. In an investigation initiated against Rubiales, the 46-year-old was summoned to an initial hearing on Friday at the State Court in Madrid, as the Spanish justice system announced on Tuesday. The examining judge Francisco De Jorge must decide whether Rubiales will be put in the dock for sexual aggression and coercion after the forced kiss on the mouth of world champion Hermoso.