2023-08-22 13:55:36
Faced with the controversy aroused by his kiss to the player Jenny Hermoso during the coronation of Spain in the World Cup, Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, first tried to justify himself before ending up excuse. However, the head of the Spanish government, Pedro Sanchez, considers these excuses “insufficient”.
Published on: 08/22/2023 – 13:55Modified on: 08/22/2023 – 14:47
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First offensive then apologies. The president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, ended up expressing regret on Monday August 21, the day after the controversy caused by his gesture towards Jennifer Hermoso.
After Spain’s victory over England in the 2023 World Cup final, he kissed the footballer on the mouth.
“In an increasingly fusional moment, without any bad intentions, without any bad faith, well, what happened happened”, he indicated in apology video sent by the Spanish Federation to the media.
Apologies deemed insufficient by the Spanish Prime Minister, Pedro Sanchez. Reacting at a press conference to the growing controversy for the first time, he said: “What we have seen was an unacceptable gesture (…) and the apologies he made are insufficient” and “inadequate”.
Hermoso wants to minimize
The scene was first compared to the kiss between former goalkeeper Iker Casillas and journalist Sara Carbonero after Spain won the men’s world championship in 2010. But it was then the officialization of the couple and the revelation of an open secret. Which is not at all the case for the gesture of Luis Rubiales on number 10.
Jenni Hermoso lightly played down the incident, declaring in an Instagram Live broadcast from the locker room, “I didn’t like it, huh!” before smiling at the camera.
Since then, she calms the game in each of her interviews, speaking of “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that the victory of a World Cup brings”, in a statement sent to the press by the Federation. .
“Only a yes is a yes”
However, the case was taken seriously by several politicians. The Minister for Equality of the Spanish government, Irene Montero, for her part denounced the attitude of Juan Rubiales on the social network X. “We should not consider that giving a kiss without consent is a thing ‘that happens’. It is a form of sexual violence that we women experience on a daily basis and so far invisible, and that we cannot normalize.It is the duty of all of society.With consent at the center of everything. “
“Only a yes is a yes”, she concludes with reference to the law adopted by the government in May 2022.
Sexual violence, especially less intense ones, continues to be invisible and normalized, but it is necessary to call it by its name in order to put an end to it. It is not just machismo, abuse of power or a sexist act: it is sexual violence.
— Irene Montero (@IreneMontero) August 21, 2023
The Spanish Minister of Sports and Culture Miquel Iceta, questioned by national radio (RNE), described Rubiales’ gesture as “unacceptable”, reminded the president of the Federation of his “public responsibility” summoning him to s explain and apologize.
The Minister of Culture and Sports, Miquel Iceta, on the Rubiales kiss: “The first thing you have to do is explain and make excuses.” Irene Montero, Barbón or the Canary Coalition have also criticized him harshly. and the international press https://t.co/go1TxHzW1L
— THE COUNTRY (@el_pais) August 21, 2023
A controversial figure
reacting hot at the microphone of the Spanish radio COPE before leaving Sidney on Monday, Luis Rubiales was very offensive: “It’s a small gesture between two friends who are celebrating something… We don’t respond to assholes. Me, with everything that’s happened, more assholes and idiots… no thank you We don’t care about that and we want to enjoy the moment and I don’t want to respond to all these jerks who can’t see the positive. It’s a gesture without bad intentions. If there are idiots, let them continue to be so,” he said.
???? Rubiales apologizes for the controversial kiss to Jenni Hermoso
????️ “Surely I was wrong, it was a moment of maximum effusiveness”
???? “I have to learn from this and that when you are president of an institution as important as the Federation you have to be more careful” pic.twitter.com/wfuWN4ggEY
— MARCA (@marca) August 21, 2023
However, the discourse completely changed at the end of the Monday afternoon. In the video published by the Federation, Luis Rubiales tries to make amends facing the camera: “I must admit that I was wrong. There was no bad intention in a moment of immense outpouring. From here, we We saw naturally but outside it was seen in a cloudy way. I have to apologize, learn and understand that when you’re president you have to be more careful.”
Late apologies which were therefore not enough for Pedro Sanchez. It must be said that this kiss from the President of the Federation is part of a heavy context within the Spanish selection. Players have been denouncing for months the methods deemed “dictatorial” of the coach, Jorge Vilda, who enjoys the unwavering support of his president.
Luis Rubiales, in office since 2018, has also been accused of having organized orgies with Federation money last September.
With AFP
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