How infamous World Cup kiss has become Spain’s MeToo moment sparking mass resignations – and even a hunger strike
pBut a “celebratory” kiss a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23565113/luis-rubiales-spain-jenni-hermoso-kiss/planted on striker Jenni Hermoso/a by her football association boss has seen anger replace joy and led to thousands of women taking to the streets in protest./p
figure id=attachment_23695205 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/rc3_spain_england_20aug2023_noe_301-JS840315135.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - AUGUST 20: President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales (R) kisses Jennifer Hermoso of Spain (L) during the medal ceremony of FIFA Women's World Cup Australia amp; New Zealand 2023 Final match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia on August 20, 2023 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Noemi Llamas/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695205 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textA #8216;celebratory#8217; kiss planted on Jenni Hermoso by her boss has seen anger replace joy in Spain after they won the World Cup/figcaptionfigcreditGetty/figcredit/figure
figure id=attachment_23695207 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/RTRMADP_SOCCER-WORLDCUP-KISS-PROTEST_2031822759_UP1EJ8S1GG551_2023-08-28T185256Zjpg-JS840856380.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=Soccer Football - People protest against Royal Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales - Plaza Callao, Madrid, Spain - August 28, 2023 General view during a protest in Madrid following a kiss between Royal Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales and Spain's Jennifer Hermoso after the Women's World Cup Final REUTERS/Isabel Infantes class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695207 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textA MeToo-style revolution has now been unleashed across the country/figcaptionfigcreditReuters/figcredit/figure
figure id=attachment_23695208 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/GETTY_Protesters-Call-For-Resignation-Of-Luis-Rubiales_NEW_GYI1644931790jpg-JS840870003.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 28: Protesters march during a demonstration called by feminist associations in support to Spain's player Jenni Hermoso, at Callao square in Madrid on August 28, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Prompted by Luis Rubiales' refusal to resign, protesters in Madrid are rallying against sexual violence in sport. Rubiales, the president of Spain's soccer federation, faces potential FIFA suspension over allegations of inappropriate behavior, including an unwanted kiss on player Jenni Hermoso's lips after Spain's Women's World Cup victory. 81 players from the national team have gone on strike, and the majority of Spain's women's coaching staff have resigned, intensifying the mounting pressure for Rubiales to step down from his position. (Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695208 width=960 height=680 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textSocial media has been flooded with the hashtag #SeAcabo, meaning #8216;it#8217;s over#8217;/figcaptionfigcreditGetty/figcredit/figure
pThe a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/me-too-campaign/#MeToo-style/a revolution that has been unleashed and is reverberating through a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/where/spain/Spain/a has also caused mass resignations and even a dramatic hunger strike./p
pGender issues have become a prominent topic in the country in recent years, with marches against sexual violence and reforms around equal pay and a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/health/3782462/abortion-uk-law-nhs/abortion/a rights./p
pNow the outpouring of solidarity for forward Hermoso, 33 — who received the unwanted kiss on the lips from Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) president a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23656736/who-luis-rubiales-jenni-hermoso/Luis Rubiales/a — may yet prove more significant than the victory in the final itself./p
pReserve goalie Misa Rodriguez tweeted a cartoon of an old woman and a child with the caption: “Grandma, tell me about how your team a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23562677/england-spain-womens-world-cup-final-carmona/won the World Cup/a.”/p
pThe grandmother answers: “We didn’t just win the a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/womens-world-cup/World Cup/a, little one. We won so much more.”/p
pa href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/social-media/Social media/a has been flooded with posts bearing the hashtag #SeAcabo, meaning, “It’s over”./p
pAnd in an extraordinary mutiny, Hermoso, her 23 World Cup team mates and 56 other women footballers have refused to play for Spain while Rubiales remains in post./p
pa href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/fifa/Fifa/a have stepped in, a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23665775/luis-rubiales-banned-fifa-kissgate-jenni-hermoso/removing Rubiales from all football-related activities/a for 90 days./p
h2Bizarre and crude/h2
pOn Monday, Spanish prosecutors opened a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/crime/criminal investigation/a into Rubiales’ behaviour./p
pHis own RFEF association has even called on him to step down./p
figure id=attachment_23695212 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Spain_Rubiales_Twists_and_Turns_61921-c0535jpg-JS841023080.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=FILE - A demonstrator holds a red card reading in Spanish quot;Little pick and game overquot; during an anti-Rubiales protest and to support Spain player Jenni Hermoso in Madrid on Monday, Aug. 28, 2023. The kiss by Luis Rubiales has unleashed a storm of fury over gender equality that almost marred the unprecedented victory but now looks set to go down as a milestone in both Spanish soccer history but also in women's rights. (AP Photo/Andrea Comas, file) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695212 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textDemonstrators continue to march against Rubiales/figcaptionfigcreditAP/figcredit/figure
figure id=attachment_23695214 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/20230828_rubiales_protest_008-JS840999684.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=MADRID, SPAIN - AUGUST 28: Protesters march during a demonstration called by feminist associations in support to Spain's player Jenni Hermoso, at Callao square in Madrid on August 28, 2023 in Madrid, Spain. Prompted by Luis Rubiales' refusal to resign, protesters in Madrid are rallying against sexual violence in sport. Rubiales, the president of Spain's soccer federation, faces potential FIFA suspension over allegations of inappropriate behavior, including an unwanted kiss on player Jenni Hermoso's lips after Spain's Women's World Cup victory. 81 players from the national team have gone on strike, and the majority of Spain's women's coaching staff have resigned, intensifying the mounting pressure for Rubiales to step down from his position. (Photo by Aldara Zarraoa/Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695214 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textAnd feminist associations continue to support Jenni/figcaptionfigcreditGetty/figcredit/figure
figure id=attachment_23695219 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/pxl_spain_cup_kiss_rubiales_hermoso_001JPG-JS840958603.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=Pic shows: Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain won the Women's World Cup. He has so far refused to resign Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has apologised for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain won the Women's World Cup. Rubiales kissed the Spain forward during the presentation ceremony following the team's 1-0 win over England in Sunday's final. quot;I didn't like it,quot; Hermoso said on Instagram, but a statement released later on her behalf defended Rubiales. Later Rubiales said: quot;I was completely wrong, I have to admit it.quot; supplied by Pixel8000 07917221968 class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695219 width=960 height=662 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textHowever, Rubiales has remained bullishly unrepentant and insists the kiss was consensual/figcaptionfigcreditPixel8000/figcredit/figure
pBut Rubiales, 46, has remained bullishly unrepentant, insisting the kiss was consensual./p
pHis mum, Angeles Bejar, has locked herself inside a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/religion/church/a and a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23685306/rubiales-mum-prepared-die-hunger-strike-hermoso-kiss/gone on hunger strike in protest/a at her son’s treatment./p
pShe insisted: “I will remain here for as long as my body can./p
p“I am willing to die for justice because my son is a decent person and it is not fair what they’re doing.”/p
pRubiales’ cousin Vanessa Ruiz says the family want Hermoso to “tell the truth” and acknowledge that the kiss was not forced./p
pFor her part, the player says she was “the victim of an aggression” and “a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23663922/hermoso-did-not-consent-kiss-rubiales-spain-fa-defence/at no time did I consent/a to the kiss he gave me”./p
pThis dispiriting story began in what should have been a joyous occasion amid the heaving cauldron of Stadium Australia on August 20./p
pSpain had dominated the first half against a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/1196702/england/England/a, going 1-0 up./p
pThen with 20 minutes to go, La Roja (The Red One), as the Spain team are nicknamed, were awarded a penalty./p
pVeteran striker Hermoso stepped up to take it, only to see it saved by Lioness keeper a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/who/mary-earps/Mary Earps/a in front of more than 75,000 fans./p
pSpain clung on to win by their single goal. As the final whistle sounded, Rubiales leapt up to celebrate in bizarre and crude fashion./p
pStanding next to Spain’s queen and her 16-year-old daughter, he gestured at the players on the field, then grabbed his crotch./p
pWorse was to follow./p
pRubiales, also a vice-president of European football’s governing body a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/uefa-nations-league/Uefa/a, was positioned on the winners’ rostrum to greet his victorious team. /p
pAs Hermoso approached, he hugged her around the neck and appeared to lift his body weight off the ground and swing both knees close to her hips./p
pThen he dropped his feet to the ground, cupped his hands around her head and kissed her on the lips./p
pBack in the dressing room, La Roja players replayed the incident on a phone. /p
pAs some of the a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/1196716/spain/Spain stars/a giggled and screamed, Hermoso could be seen shouting: “But I didn’t like it!”/p
pWhen quizzed about his behaviour afterwards, Rubiales dismissed critics of his unwanted kiss as “idiots”./p
pHe added: “When two people have a minor show of affection, we can’t listen to idiocy. We are champions and that’s what I’ll take.”/p
pYet many around the world were now talking about his boorish and sexist behaviour rather than La Roja’s brilliant victory./p
pMiquel Iceta, Spain’s minister for culture and sport, said: “We’re in a moment of equality, of rights and respect for women. /p
p“I think it’s unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her.”/p
pAs the Spanish team stopped off in a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/where/qatar/Qatar/a en route home, Rubiales finally issued a mealy-mouthed apology, saying he was, “Sorry to those who were offended”./p
pLater that same day, the RFEF released a statement on behalf of Hermoso in an attempt to draw a line under the furore./p
pIt quoted Hermoso as saying: “It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy of winning a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/womens-world-cup/World Cup/a./p
p“The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been excellent and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”/p
pBut players’ body FIFPRO, which represents 65,000 footballers worldwide, took a different view./p
pIt said in a statement: “Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context./p
p“This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.”/p
pBack in Spain, the country’s Prime Minister, a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/6427096/spain-prime-minister-mariano-rajoy-pedro-sanchez/Pedro Sanchez/a, said Rubiales’ apology was “insufficient and inadequate”./p
pHe added: “It shows that in our country there’s a long way to go in terms of equality and respect between men and women.” /p
pAs pressure built, there were reports that Rubiales was set to resign./p
pThen last Friday, the defiant chief not only refused to quit but also cast himself as the victim./p
pHe tried to make amends for his crotch grab, saying: “I have to apologise to the a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/spanish-royals/royal family/a. It wasn’t very edifying.”/p
h2‘False feminism’/h2
pHe suggested there was “no dominance” in the kiss planted on Hermoso and claimed he asked the player if she agreed to “a peck” and she had said yes./p
pRubiales insisted he was subject to a “social assassination”, adding that his critics were harnessing “false feminism, one of the scourges of this country”./p
figure id=attachment_23695226 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 970pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/jam_m_205382-JS840999655.jpg?strip=allamp;w=960 alt=PACHUCA, MEXICO - AUGUST 28: Players of of Pachuca with a message in support of Jennifer Hermoso piror the 6th round match between Pachuca and Atletico San Luis as part of the Torneo Apertura 2023 Liga MX at Hidalgo Stadium on August 28, 2023 in Pachuca, Mexico. (Photo by Jam Media/Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695226 width=960 height=640 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textPlayers at her club team of Pachuca in Mexico stood in support of Jenni/figcaptionfigcreditGetty/figcredit/figure
figure id=attachment_23695223 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 650pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/SPO_AFP_33T84B2jpg-JS839571689.jpg?strip=allamp;w=640 alt=This picture taken on August 20, 2023 shows President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales carrying Spain's Athenea del Castillo Beivide on his shoulder as they celebrate winning the Australia and New Zealand 2023 Women's World Cup final football match between Spain and England at Stadium Australia in Sydney. (Photo by DAVID GRAY / AFP) (Photo by DAVID GRAY/AFP via Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695223 width=640 height=960 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textRubiales also celebrated with another of Spain#8217;s winning players by lifting her up/figcaptionfigcreditAFP via Getty/figcredit/figure
pHermoso hit back, calling Rubiales’ claims “categorically false and part of the manipulative culture that he himself has generated”./p
pShe said: “At no time did I consent to the kiss. It fills us with sadness that such an unacceptable event is managing to tarnish the greatest sporting success of Spanish a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/topic/womens-football/women’s football/a.”/p
pBut RFEF hit back, accusing Hermoso of “lies’” and threatening legal action./p
pHermoso’s team mates rallied round, boycotting the national team./p
pAnd 11 enraged technical staff from Spain’s women’s team quit./p
pThe a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23679787/spanish-government-yolanda-diaz-luis-rubiales-kiss/Spanish government/a has begun legal proceedings to suspend Rubiales. /p
pBut staggeringly, he remains in post with a key role in trying to win Spain’s joint bid to host the 2030 men’s a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/world-cup/World Cup/a./p
pBorn in the Canary Islands and raised in Motril, southern Spain, Rubiales was a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23684669/rise-career-spanish-fa-chief-football-spain-luis-rubiales/journeyman defender/a for teams including Mallorca B and Hamilton in Scotland./p
pHe became RFEF chief in 2018, earning some £300,000. He also earns around £210,000 as a Uefa vice-president./p
pBut his tenure at the Spanish FA has been dogged by allegations of sleaze. /p
pIn 2020, his uncle, Juan Rubiales, told Spanish anti-corruption prosecutors that his nephew ordered him to use FA funds to pay for a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/23691403/spanish-fa-chief-luis-rubiales-orgy-villa-boozing-girls/private party/a with eight or ten young women said to be sex workers./p
pJuan, who Rubiales had sacked as his head of staff, claimed the women attended the “orgies” under the pretext of a work event./p
pRFEF denied the claim, saying it was a “new exercise in falsehoods by a former federative employee motivated by spite”. /p
pDad-of-three Rubiales, who is separated from his wife, is being investigated by Spanish authorities for using RFEF funds for a week-long break in New York with partner Roberta Lobeira, a a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/where/mexico/Mexican/a painter. /p
pRubiales insists he was meeting UN and Major League Soccer representatives./p
pMeanwhile, Hermoso was met with rapturous applause when attending the Women’s Cup final between Atletico Madrid and a href=https://www.thesun.co.uk/sport/football/team/1302934/ac-milan/AC Milan/a on Saturday./p
pThe players unfurled a giant banner reading, “We’re with you, Jenni Hermoso”, as did players at her club team of Pachuca in Mexico./p
pAnd millions watching this sorry saga unfold will surely agree./p
figure id=attachment_23695251 class=wp-caption alignnone style=width: 650pximg decoding=async loading=lazy src=https://www.thesun.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/jk2_8819_tyjjr56l_vzkeceox-JS841000000.jpg?strip=allamp;w=640 alt=PALMERSTON NORTH, NEW ZEALAND - JULY 17: Jennifer Hermoso of Spain poses during the official FIFA Women's World Cup Australia amp; New Zealand 2023 portrait session on July 17, 2023 in Palmerston North, New Zealand. (Photo by Jan Kruger - FIFA/FIFA via Getty Images) class=alignnone size-thesun-article-image wp-image-23695251 width=640 height=960 /figcaption class=wp-caption-textMillions watching the sorry saga unfold stand in support of Jenni/figcaptionfigcreditGetty/figcredit/figure