Spain’s footballers deservedly won the World Cup. The circumstances are amazing. The party was exuberant, but also marred by incidents – in focus: a kiss that crossed borders. Even Spanish ministers and a coach got involved.
In the hour of triumph, the celebrating world champions from Spain were unfortunately also confronted with an abusive man: Luis Rubiales, head of the Spanish football association, hugged all “his” players and then he kissed Jenni Hermoso. First on the cheek, then on the mouth – this is how it was seen on videos on social networks.
“I didn’t like it,” said the 33-year-old offensive player when asked about the scene in a live Instagram video. In the video, Hermoso is later asked by another woman why she didn’t do anything about it. Hermoso then replied, “What should I have done?”
“Gestures cannot be justified” – Jonker is also outraged
The Spanish daily El País commented: “It’s the year 2023, these gestures cannot be justified.” Such a kiss on the mouth is “an aggression”. Dutch national coach Andries Jonker, who is also appreciated by his players for his respectful manner, branded Rubiales’ behavior as “incomprehensible”, “unacceptable” and “outrageous”.
Rubiales: “Don’t listen to idiots”
And Rubiales? The 45-year-old ex-professional, association boss since 2018 and by no means known as a saint due to scandals and scandals, snapped at a reporter from Radio Marca at the departure gate in Sydney: “There are idiots everywhere. When two people share a moment of affection without further important, you shouldn’t listen to idiots. We are the winners and I stand by that.”
Sport Minister: Rubiales must apologize
After the return of the world champions at home, Rubiale’s adversity should await. The reactions in Spain are harsh. Spanish Sport Minister Miguel Iceta said on Monday (21.08.2023): “It is unacceptable to kiss a player on the mouth. The first thing he has to do is explain himself and apologize. There is no way around it. “
Kiss of the head of the association – “form of sexual violence”
One should not assume that kissing without consent is something that just happens, wrote Spain’s Equality Minister Irene Montero on X, formerly Twitter. “It’s a form of sexual violence that we women suffer every day and that has been invisible up to now and that we are not allowed to normalize,” explained the 35-year-old politician.
Hermoso rejected the criticism of the president – obviously because of the outraged reactions: “It was a very spontaneous mutual gesture because of the great joy of winning a World Cup,” she said. Hermoso’s statement was sent to some media by the Spanish federation RFEF late Sunday evening. This was probably intended primarily for damage limitation. After all, the image of an association that also holds the women’s U17 and U20 world titles is at stake.
Goal scorer mourns the father
Sexism in women’s football is apparently always and everywhere an issue, it also casts a shadow over the Spanish celebrations. It wasn’t the only fly in the ointment. Shortly after her team’s victory at the Australia Women’s World Cup, winning goalscorer Olga Carmona learned of her father’s death. Spain’s football association condoled the player and her family.
It was Hermoso who hugged Carmona tightly. In fact, Jenni Hermoso had every reason to be overjoyed. She, the 33-year-old, led the Spanish team to the title as a playmaker and was the head of the team. She is one of the few who does not play for one of the big Spanish clubs.
Nine players from the final starting team play for FC Barcelona on a day-to-day basis at the club – Hermoso left her country for Mexico last year. “It’s a new experience for me and has brought me so much as a person,” she says of her emigration abroad.
Emigrant Hermoso as leader
“She’s still good to fetch the drinks” and “she won’t be able to keep up physically” – Hermoso, who was there for Spain’s first World Cup appearance in 2015, had to listen to such sayings. In Australia and New Zealand, national coach Jorge Vilda made her boss on the pitch. Unlike Alexia Putellas, for example. The world footballer mainly had to sit on the substitutes’ bench at the behest of the coach.
Vilda and his decisions – he has achieved what hardly anyone believed him capable of: leading a team that was largely hostile to him just a few months ago to triumph.
Not undisputed: Jorge Vilda
strike against the coach
15 national players went on strike last fall to protest against the 42-year-old coach, who has been in charge of the senior national team since 2015. Relatively unsuccessful considering how many titles the Spanish junior teams alone have won in that time. The accusations leveled at him ranged from inhuman surveillance methods to tactical incompetence and incomprehensible personnel decisions.
Now Vilda is world champion. And on the pitch, his players threw him up in triumph. A scenario in which many viewers may have rubbed their eyes. Certainly also head of the association Rubiales. It would have been nice if he had left it at that.
