Kiss for World Cup Winner Jenni Hermoso Criticised by Spanish Ministers

MADRID (Reuters) – The Spanish soccer federation president has been criticised by authorities ministers for kissing participant Jenni Hermoso on the lips throughout the celebrations of their girls’s World Cup victory.

Hermoso was heard telling teammates afterward within the locker room she “did not prefer it” in a video posted on Instagram and YouTube by El Mundo newspaper and different media retailers.

The kiss occurred as Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish soccer federation, distributed gold medals among the many crew following their 1-0 victory over England on Sunday.

Hermoso later performed down the incident in an announcement despatched to Spanish information company EFE by the federation.

“It was mutual gesture that was completely spontaneous prompted by the massive pleasure of successful a world cup,” the assertion mentioned. “The ‘presi’ and I’ve an amazing relationship, his behaviour with all of us has all the time been 10 (out of 10) and this was a pure gesture of affection and gratitude.”

Requested once more concerning the incident on Spain’s COPE Radio station, she mentioned: “I want they created (controversy) involving another person, I’m a world champion and that’s what issues.”

Rubiales in the meantime denounced these elevating questions as “idiots”.

“The kiss with Jenni? There are idiots all over the place. When two folks have a second of affection meaning nothing extra, you’ll be able to’t take heed to idiocy. We’re the champions, that is it,” he mentioned in keeping with Radio Marca.

Nonetheless, ministers and components of the media had been indignant on the gesture.

Appearing Tradition and Sports activities Minister Miquel Iceta mentioned on Monday on RNE radio the kiss was unacceptable and requested Rubiales to present a proof and apologise.

A non-consensual kiss is “a type of intercourse violence we endure all girls each day, which was till now invisible, and which we can’t normalise”, appearing Gender Equality Minister Irene Montero mentioned on the X social community, previously often called Twitter.

Appearing Social Rights Minister Ione Belarra, who belongs to Montero’s celebration, requested “in the event that they try this with all of Spain watching, what would possibly they do privately?”

A column in Spain’s top-selling El Pais newspaper on Monday morning was titled: “Jenni did not just like the kiss and we did not both” – describing it as “an intrusion, an invasion of privateness, an aggression”.

Gender points are a strong matter in Spain. The socialist-led authorities has presided over a raft of authorized reforms round gender change, abortion and intercourse work, however a loophole in its regulation round sexual consent let rapists out of jail, leading to a big electoral loss by Montero’s far-left Podemos celebration, within the authorities coalition, in July’s election.

(Reporting by Inti Landauro and Fernando Kallas; Modifying by Aislinn Laing and Alison Williams)

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