Spain’s FA chief sparks further anger as video emerges of him ‘grabbing his crotch in obscene gesture’ as he celebrates World Cup victory alongside Queen Letizia – moments before kissing the player on the lips
- Luis Rubiales kissed World Cup winning player Jenni Hermoso on the lips
- He also planted a kiss on the cheek of goalscorer Olga Carmona
- And a video emerged of him appearing to grab his crotch next to the Queen
Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, is facing criticism today after images have surfaced showing him grabbing his testicles with an obscene gesture next to Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter Sofia.
The football chief sparked controversy by kissing World Cup winning player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the trophy ceremony in Sydney yesterday following Spain’s 1-0 win over England.
Left-wing Spanish politicians labeled the 45-year-old’s kiss, which Hermoso admitted after the match she disliked, an act of “sexual assault.”
Irene Montero, the country’s acting equality minister, said in a stabbing attack on Rubiales: “We shouldn’t assume that kissing someone without their consent is something ‘that happens'”.
“It is a form of sexual violence that women regularly and until now invisibly suffer from and that we cannot normalize.”
Luis Rubiales plants a kiss on Jenni Hermoso’s mouth during the World Cup final
Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, is facing criticism today after footage has surfaced showing him grabbing his testicles in an obscene gesture alongside Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter Sofia
Iona Belarra, Spain’s acting social rights minister, pinned her political colleague’s tweet, adding: “What we all think. If they do this with the whole country watching, what won’t they do privately?
‘Sexual violence against women must stop.’
Rubiales tried to laugh off the criticism by insisting it was a kiss on the lips “between two friends celebrating” and urging people to ignore “the idiots.”
But today he was once again thrust into the spotlight after deliberately grabbing his testicles and shoving his genitals at Spain’s female footballers during a high-energy celebration after the final whistle blew from the stands at Stadium Australia.
Queen Letizia and her young daughter Sofia were right next to him as he made his obscene gesture after repeatedly pounding the area with his fists.
Spanish politician Pablo Echenique, a member of the far-left party Podemos, was furious: “In addition to giving a non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso’s lips as he grabbed her head, an act that would constitute the commission of a crime may represent, Rubiales has also celebrated the victory of Spain and grabbed his testicles next to the queen and her daughter.
He also posted a picture of Spain’s FA president planting a sloppy kiss on the left cheek of goalscorer Olga Carmona, who learned after the match that her father had died, writing on his Twitter feed: “Here he is with Olga too Carmona.
“Looks like this guy was drooling and stalking the whole team.”
Rubiales kisses the cheek of goalscorer Olga Carmona
Rubiales is celebrated here together with Queen Letizia and Sofia
Rubiales seemed to take the comments well and has yet to comment on claims he had his genitals taken in front of Spain’s top female royals.
He was filmed in the dressing room after yesterday’s World Cup final announcing a trip to Ibiza for Spain’s winning women as a prize before joking in front of Jenni Hermoso and her teammates: “In Ibiza we celebrate the wedding of Jenni and Luis Rubiales.
Hermoso admitted she didn’t like the kiss in a live online stream for fans from the locker room.
In subsequent comments facilitated by the Spanish FA, the Madrid-born footballer who currently plays for Mexican side Pachuca referred to the moment as a “mutual and totally spontaneous gesture” and insisted: “The president and I have a great relationship .’
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