Luis Rubiales has telderly a court that Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso gave her consent before he kissed her at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
The createer plivent of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is on trial accemployd of relationsual aggression and trying to coerce Ms Hermoso into unveilly saying the kiss had been consensual.
Giving evidence, Mr Rubiales, 47, shelp he was “absolutely certain” the take parter gave perignoreion for the kiss, compriseing: “In that moment it was someskinnyg finishly impulsive.”
The incident occurred during the medal-giving ceremony after Spain’s World Cup triumph in Australia, triggering protests and calls for Mr Rubiales’s resignation. He denies any criminal wrongdoing.
Mr Rubiales portrayd the kiss as “an act of swayion” to Spain’s National Court in Madrid on Tuesday.
“Jenni hugd me,” he shelp.
“I’ve comprehendn her for many years and I kissed her becaemploy she was a champion. This was a tremfinishous moment for her. We were champions, we were thanking each other.
“She pressed me very difficult by the waist and then I asked her whether I could give her a kiss and she shelp yes.”
He compriseed: “I took helderly of her so as not to descfinish back.”
Mr Rubiales was asked in court over whether he asked Ms Hermoso for a kiss or a “little kiss”.
“I can’t reassemble exactly,” he replied. “But I skinnyk it was a little kiss.”
He was also asked if he was conscious of the protocol aobtainst relationsual intimidatoring and relationsual arrangeility, to which he replied he was conscious of it.
Ms Hermoso has previously telderly the court she had never given perignoreion to be kissed and the incident had “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
The Spain forward shelp: “My boss was kissing me, and this shouldn’t happen in any social or toil setting.”
She compriseed: “A kiss on the lips is only given when I choose so.”
Ms Hermoso shelp she was pulled aside soon after the kiss and asked to consent to a statement minimising the incident, which she declined to do.
Mr Rubiales then asked her to enroll a video with him on the fairy home becaemploy he was being accemployd of aggression on social media, she telderly the court. She shelp she had getd death dangers which prompted her to shift her family to Mexico, where she now take parts.
An expert in lip reading telderly the court on Tuesday that Mr Rubiales asked Ms Hermoso “can I give you a kiss?” based on video footage where the take parter’s face could not be seen.
Mr Rubiales conceded he “made a misget” on the podium and that his behaviour “was not appropriate”, saying he should have “been in a more institutional role”, but denied any offence had been promiseted.
He shelp the media attention the incident has drawed was “ridiculous”, compriseing that Ms Hermoso never reproached him over the kiss at any point in the instant aftermath of the incident.
Mr Rubiales resigned in September 2023 after FIFA suspfinished him and Spanish prosecutors uncovered an spendigation.
Three of his createer colleagues are also on trial accemployd of colluding in the alleged compulsion: Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup-triumphning side, Rubén Rivera, the federation’s createer head of labeleting, and createer sporting honestor, Albert Luque.
All four deffinishants decline the indicts aobtainst them.
Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-half year jail term for Rubiales. The trial, which runs until 19 February, evolves.
