The Spanish FA president concedes that the kiss was'somewhat tainted.' Women's World Cup victory
It was a historic moment for women's football in Spain and around the world, a precedent-setting display of skill that provided a tantalizing sample of what is to come. However, the day following Spain's women's World Cup victory, the country's football chief - a 45-year-old guy - dominated domestic headlines.
The rumbling started soon after Spain’s 1-0 victory over England in the final in Sydney on Sunday night. As the Spanish team collected their gold medals, Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish football federation, grabbed the forward Jenni Hermoso by the head, pulling her towards him and planting a kiss on her lips.
Soon after, Hermoso said on a live stream that she “didn’t like it”. She later added: “But what can I do?”
Video of the unwanted kiss circulated swiftly online, sparking outrage at home and abroad. The minister of equality in the caretaker government, Irene Montero, described it as “a form of sexual violence that we women suffer on a daily basis and until now has been invisible”. She added: “We can’t normalise this.”
Her view was backed by Nadia Tronchoni, who leads sports coverage at the newspaper El País. “It’s an intrusion,” she wrote. “An invasion of one’s personal space. Without consent. An aggression.
“What a pity that such a beautiful day ends up being marred by this trashy machismo.”
The country’s acting sports minister, Miquel Iceta, described the gesture as “unacceptable” and demanded that Rubiales offer an explanation and apology. A spokesperson for the leftwing coalition Sumar, Marta Lois, joined the many on social media calling for Rubiales to resign.
As the gesture threatened to overshadow the incredible achievements of La Roja, the federation stepped in, circulating comments by Hermoso that appeared to clarify her position, saying it was a “natural gesture of affection”.
“It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings,” said Hermoso, in comments provided to Agence France-Presse by the Spanish federation. “The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”
