Soccer Spanish Kiss Affair
Popp criticizes Rummenigge – “On the road in another century”
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“Incomprehensible and rather shocking”: footballer Alexandra Popp
Source: dpa/Daniel Bockwoldt
Germany’s national team captain Alexandra Popp takes a clear position after the kiss scandal triggered by the head of the Spanish football association Rubiales. In the focus of their criticism, among other things: Bayern Munich’s ex-boss Karl-Heinz Rummenigge.
In the kissing affair about world champion Jennifer Hermoso, national player Alexandra Popp would have liked to hear clearer criticism from German football of the behavior of Spain’s head of the association Luis Rubiales. “Those who spoke out weren’t particularly great in their statements,” said the 32-year-old captain of the DFB team and VfL Wolfsburg.
The German internationals around Popp had expressed solidarity with Hermoso in their own statement and criticized Rubiales’ behavior as “unacceptable”. The official kissed Hermoso on the mouth at the award ceremony after the World Cup final in Sydney. The midfielder had repeatedly emphasized that this was not done amicably. Bayern’s former CEO Karl-Heinz Rummenigge had expressed understanding for Rubiales’ behavior.
“The more people from high positions comment on it – but then also express it in the right direction,” the more valuable it is, “to simply show that something like what happened to Jenni Hermoso shouldn’t happen,” said Popp.
Causa Hermoso is exemplary, says Popp
The fact is, however, “that in the end we as players are of course the ones who have to and should take a clear position on this, to show that you can’t do that with us, that we’re not an object or anything else, but that we should be treated with respect,” she said. “And that was definitely not respectful interaction.”
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She does believe “that there are still people in many positions who simply do not yet have a future-oriented image. And something has to change there.” You saw that extremely in the case of “Hermoso, be it with the Spanish association president, be it with the people who applaud him after his speech, be it with the statement among others by Karl-Heinz Rummenigge”.
“There seems to be a man fighting the last fight of his career”
Luis Rubiales is not stepping down after the kissing scandal at the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony. Instead, the head of the Spanish association wants to “sue everyone who has said bad things about him,” reports Walter M. Straten.
The former club boss of FC Bayern had sided with Rubiales. “When you become world champion, you are emotional. And what he did there is – sorry, with all due respect – absolutely okay,” said the 67-year-old Rummenigge. In addition, emotionality is important in football, one should “leave the church in the village”.
According to Popp, that shouldn’t happen anymore at this time. “We are now in another century, where equality simply has a great, great importance,” said Popp. “The fact that we still have to fight for the fact that, according to many statements, one should actually surrender after something like this is incomprehensible to me and rather shocking that parts of society still think so.”
In the scandal surrounding the now suspended Rubiales, according to a media report, the accused has meanwhile sent a video to the world association Fifa to exonerate him. With the recordings, Rubiales wants to prove that Hermoso, who kissed him on the mouth at the award ceremony after winning the World Cup final in Sydney on August 20, contradicts herself and is not telling the truth, wrote the digital newspaper “El Español” on Wednesday. The video was quickly published by other media in Spain.
According to El Español, footage taken on the Spain team bus shows some players mocking the incident in a relaxed atmosphere. Hermoso can also be seen. She says to colleagues: “He was moved and everything. He comes and touches me like that.” Several players call out “Kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss, kiss”, among other things. As Rubiales passes them, some chant “Presi, Presi, Presi”.
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Rubiales insists the kiss was consensual. However, Hermoso said after the incident that she “felt the victim of an impulsive, sexist and inappropriate act that I did not consent to.” Fifa suspended Rubiales for 90 days and initiated disciplinary proceedings. The Spanish sports court Tad is also dealing with the case at the request of the government in Madrid. Rubiales has so far refused to step down as president of the national association RFEF, although this has also been demanded by the regional associations of the RFEF, among others.
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