Female footballer was angry, cried in team bus after infamous World Cup kiss - Court hears

Jenni Hermoso cried and became visibly angry as she recounted the emotional aftermath of the kiss forced upon her by former Spain football chief Luis Rubiales during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, reports the BBC.

Her teammates; Irene Paredes, Laia Codina, and Alexia Putellas, testified at the trial in Madrid on Thursday, offering their support for Hermoso’s account of feeling overwhelmed and disrespected after the incident.

Ms. Putellas described how Hermoso had been in tears, exhausted from the emotional toll the event had taken on her, as the team made its way back to Spain. "She started crying from exhaustion," Putellas recalled, explaining how Hermoso was approached on the plane and asked to deny any lack of consent regarding the kiss.

Putellas added as quoted by the BBC:

She was angry and said there was no need for him to explain the facts to her because she had experienced it.

Ms. Codina noted that, despite being on a celebratory trip to Ibiza with her team, Hermoso was far from enjoying herself.

She was sad, she was not enjoying herself, far from it. It should have been the best moment of her life.

During the trial, it emerged that Hermoso had felt compelled to face Rubiales’ pressure to make a public statement denying that the kiss had been non-consensual. On the flight home, Hermoso was reportedly asked to meet with Rubiales, who allegedly attempted to persuade her to downplay the incident.

Hermoso’s brother, Rafael, also testified about conversations with coach Jorge Vilda, who warned that his sister would face both professional and personal consequences if she did not cooperate.

Trial details

The trial has been a platform for Hermoso’s teammates to stand by her side, highlighting the mental and emotional toll the incident has had on her.

Despite being in the spotlight for her achievements, Hermoso has now had to fight for her dignity and safety as a woman in football, facing not only the actions of Rubiales but also an alleged coercive campaign to silence her.

Rubiales is currently facing charges of sexual assault and coercion, while other members of the Spanish Football Federation, including Vilda and two others, are also on trial for their role in the alleged coercion.

Prosecutors are calling for a one-year prison sentence for Rubiales and an additional year-and-a-half for coercion. He has denied all charges, and the trial continues.