World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso has instructed Luis Rubiales’s trial she “never” agreed to the previous Spanish soccer chief kissing her on the lips – and the second “tainted one of the happiest days” of her life.
Rubiales is on trial in Madrid for kissing Hermoso after Spain received the Ladies’s World Cup in Sydney in August 2023.
The 47-year-old is accused of sexual assault and of then trying to coerce Hermoso into declaring the kiss had been consensual. He denies the costs, claiming the kiss was consensual and occurred in a “moment of jubilation”.
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Jenni Hermoso heads into the courtroom in Madrid. Pic: Reuters
‘I could not get pleasure from being a world champion’
Hermoso, 34, who’s Spain’s all-time prime goalscorer, instructed Madrid’s Excessive Court docket on Monday she “felt disrespected” and had “never” agreed to the kiss.
“I didn’t hear or understand anything,” she mentioned. “The next thing he did was to grab me by the ears and kiss me on the mouth.
“I knew I used to be being kissed by my boss and that ought to not occur in any social or work surroundings,” she added.
“I believe it was a second that tainted one of many happiest days of my life.
“All this meant I couldn’t enjoy at all being a world champion after I landed back in Madrid.”
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Hermoso testifies, as seen on a display screen contained in the courtroom. Pic: AP
Hermoso mentioned she realised the extent of the scandal throughout the flight residence when she observed folks huddled round Rubiales’s seat and his daughters crying.
She mentioned when she went to the toilet she bumped into Rubiales, who requested her to document a video with him as a result of he was being accused on social media of assault.
Hermoso hopes to reclaim World Cup win as second of pleasure
Rob Harris
@RobHarris
The world had seen the kiss by Luis Rubiales – the fallout overshadowing Spain’s World Cup triumph and the excessive level of Jenni Hermoso’s profession.
What the Madrid courtroom heard in depth was the alleged try by Rubiales and his Spanish soccer federation associates to undermine the star participant and dismiss her claims.
“I said no, that I was not going to do anything, that I was not the cause of this,” Hermoso instructed the courtroom.
She mentioned Rubiales mentioned he would converse to her household and he or she requested him to go away them out of it.
She instructed the courtroom how after the incident and the encircling controversy, her life had been placed on maintain.
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Luis Rubiales arrives at courtroom on Monday. Pic: Reuters
“I have not been able to really live freely,” she mentioned.
Former ladies’s nationwide crew coach Jorge Vilda, former Spanish soccer federation sporting director Albert Luque and the organisation’s ex-head of promoting Ruben Rivera are additionally happening trial accused of placing stress on Hermoso.
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Hermoso leaves the courtroom after her testimony. Pic: Reuters
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips as gamers collected their medals after Spain had crushed England 1-0 within the Sydney ultimate in August 2023.
He finally resigned and in October 2023 was banned from all football-related actions for 3 years by world governing physique FIFA.
Rubiales claimed he was the sufferer of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists”.
The fallout from the incident led to a boycott by Spanish gamers of each the ladies’s and males’s nationwide groups, whereas the case sparked protests in Spain and past demanding “a sport free of sexist violence”.
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Rubiales contained in the courtroom in Madrid. Pic: AP
Hermoso’s household warned, says prosecution
Prosecutors say Hermoso was pulled apart on the bus to the airport and requested to approve a press release in her title downplaying the incident, which she says she refused to do.
The prosecution additionally says Vilda warned Hermoso’s brother that his sister’s soccer profession would endure if she didn’t conform to document a video backing Rubiales’s declare the kiss was consensual.
Rubiales and his co-defendants are anticipated to testify later within the trial as soon as the courtroom has interviewed the opposite witnesses.
He has referred to as his daughters to testify whereas a number of of Hermoso’s Spanish teammates can even present proof.
The prosecution needs Rubiales jailed for greater than two years.
In Spain, folks handed sentences of lower than two years can keep away from jail in the event that they pay damages.
The trial is predicted to final at the least 10 days.
