WOMEN'S WORLD CUP 2023
RFEF President Luis Rubiales opens up on Jenni World Cup kiss controversy: “there are idiots everywhere”
The RFEF President spoke about the controversial moment in which he kissed the Pachuca player on the lips ahead of the trophy lift.
Spanish Football Federation President, Luis Rubiales, was caught on TV cameras kissing Spain’s Jenni Hermoso on the lips ahead of the Women’s World Cup trophy lift in Sydney, Australia.
Spain’s Women’s World Cup win in Australia and New Zealand was a truly historic moment for the women and girls of the country, the continent and the world. La Selección Femenina beat England in a dramatic final that went to the wire, with a missed penalty, hard tackles and fantastic skill showcasing the brilliant rise of the game in the public sphere. However, the aftermath was marred by both the awkward moment with Jenni and the devastating news of the passing of Olga Carmona’s father.
Rubiales: kiss was ‘a show of care’
However, just as the Spanish players were collecting their medals, the President of the Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, could be seen hugging Pachuca star and former Barça forward, Jenni Hermoso, before he grabbed her and kissed her on the lips. The creepy move, caught on national TV cameras and broadcast all over the world, has caused criticism to rain down on Rubiales and the RFEF, with Jenni herself publicly saying she “didn’t like it”.
Now, Luis Rubiales has responded to the critics: when asked on a Spanish radio station, the 45-year-old said “there are idiots everywhere”, before calling the kiss “a show of care”. He added, “when two people have a showing of care for each other of no importance, we can’t listen to the idiots. We are champions and I’ll stick with that.”
Jenni Hermoso, who plays for Pachuca in Liga MX Femenil, spoke about the game before mentioning the ugly moment with the RFEF President, saying “we’ve been imagining this for many days. We can’t get over the fact that that we are bloody world champions! It’s the best feeling I’ve experienced in football, the best feeling of my life. This is incredible; we dedicate it to all our families and everyone who took to the streets in Spain.”
As for the kiss, Hermoso played down the incident, saying “Eh, but I didn’t like it!” on social media. After that, the RFEF put a statement out on behalf of Jenni, one which echoed Rubiales’ words on radio: “It was a completely spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a World Cup.”
The statement continued: “The president and I have a great relationship; his behaviour towards all of us has been exemplary, and it was a natural expression of affection and gratitude. There’s no need to overanalyse a gesture of friendship and gratitude; we’ve won a World Cup, and we won’t stray from what’s important.”
Spain return to Madrid in the early part of the week to celebrate their win before regrouping in September ahead of the Nations League preparations.