This was the day Spain – however most of all Jenni Hermoso – had been ready for.
The day in court docket when Luis Rubiales must begin answering questions concerning the kiss the participant says tarnished the excessive level of Spanish ladies’s soccer.
Amid the euphoria of the 2023 World Cup last, did the person who as soon as held a lot energy in soccer abuse that energy with the world watching?
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Luis Rubiales advised a Spanish court docket he has “kissed many footballers”. Pic: Reuters
No, Rubiales testified, after his trial was proven the kiss on the Sydney podium after Spain’s victory over England.
“I’ve kissed many footballers,” Rubiales mentioned, whereas being unable to recall needing to reassure a male participant in that method after lacking a penalty, as Hermoso did within the last.
This was not a sexual assault, he insisted, however a second of shared pleasure between associates.
“She squeezed me very hard under the armpits, lifted me up, and when I went back down I asked her if I can give her a kiss and she said ‘OK’,” he mentioned.
This contradicted Hermoso’s insistence final week in the identical courtroom that no consent was given to Rubiales.
An professional on lip studying introduced in by the defence to confirm whether or not Rubiales requested for a kiss had their claims of experience known as into query because of an absence of formal qualification.
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Jenni Hermoso gave proof in court docket earlier this month. Pic: Reuters/Ana Beltran
And when the main focus turned to the sexual harassment protocols for World Cup groups, Rubiales insisted he was not in breach.
“It wasn’t in the (code) that someone who asks for permission and that was given after winning a World Cup or in any other circumstances would it be forbidden to give a kiss,” he claimed.
“It is only forbidden forced sexual violence, and this wasn’t.”
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Rubiales ‘completely positive’ kiss was consensual
However it is a case that goes past a kiss.
Rubiales is alleged to have tried to coerce Hermoso into defending him, asking her to document a video.
“This was a big crisis … and we had to as quickly as possible, get on top of that and respond,” he mentioned.
“She said to me that she didn’t want to, she wanted to celebrate the World Cup win,” Rubiales mentioned.
“That she had said it well enough in the statement. I said I was grateful for that. So seeing that she didn’t want to, I did it alone.”
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Rubiales claims the World Cup kiss was a shared second of pleasure between associates – not sexual assault. Pic: Richard Callis/SPP/Shutterstock
For weeks Rubiales clung on to energy earlier than being pressured to resign as Spanish federation president and a vp at European governing physique UEFA.
In court docket there was much less of the bravado of 2023 when he attacked a witch hunt bringing him down.
And there was even some remorse over his conduct.
“I recognised I’d made a mistake, I acted like a player … and I should have adopted a more institutional role,” Rubiales mentioned.
However it didn’t, Rubiales mentioned, represent legal wrongdoing.
And as he left court docket after ending giving proof a scrum of reporters sought extra solutions.
Rubiales did his speaking contained in the court docket the place the trial is because of proceed on Wednesday with three co-defendants to offer proof, together with former coach Jorge Vilda.
All 4 males deny wrongdoing.
