The president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, recently apologized for kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s national women’s team won the 2023 Women’s World Cup. The inappropriate kiss, which Rubiales gave Hermoso when she went up to receive her winner’s medal, sparked outrage in Spain.
In a social media video, the 45-year-old Rubiales acknowledged that he made a mistake with the unwanted kiss.
He stated, “Certainly I made a mistake and I have to acknowledge that. It was done without any ill intention in a moment of the highest exuberance. Here we saw it as natural and normal but outside it has caused a commotion. I have no choice but to apologize and to learn from this … and when representing the federation take more care. “
Rubiales conceded that the kiss was seen as unacceptable outside of Spain and caused an uproar. He said he had no choice but to apologize and learn from this experience. As a representative of the federation, he vowed to be more careful with his actions in the future. Though Rubiales thought the furor over the kiss was excessive, Spain’s sports minister demanded that he apologize, calling the kiss inappropriate.
The sports minister noted that while the World Cup win caused intense emotions, public officials must set an example of equal rights and respect. Rubiales emphasized he has a great relationship with Hermoso and that the kiss was a spontaneous gesture of joy over the monumental World Cup victory.
Hermoso also downplayed the incident, stating it was a natural display of gratitude and friendship, though she initially indicated she did not like the kiss. The inappropriate gesture threatens to overshadow Spain’s World Cup celebrations, which were already hampered by earlier team turmoil over the demanding coaching methods.
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