The president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, admitted that he couldn't control his emotions at the time when he kissed female player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the 2023 World Cup medal ceremony.
The moment Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips after the 2023 Women's World Cup final on August 20th sparked outrage in Spain. (Screenshot)
In a video posted by the RFEF on August 21st, Rubiales began by asserting that Spanish football had just made history and was experiencing one of its happiest days. He stated that the RFEF and the team had worked hard for a long time and were proud of winning the 2023 Women's World Cup.
"There's one thing I deeply regret, and that's what happened between me and a female player, with whom I had a great relationship, as well as other members of the team," Rubiales continued, referring to the kiss with Hermoso. "I have to admit that I made a mistake, in a moment of extreme excitement."
The head of the RFEF viewed the impulsive moment with Hermoso as normal, but still had to apologize in the face of criticism. "I see it as natural, normal, and not at all malicious, but it caused chaos," Rubiales continued. "It seems people have been hurt by this, and I have to apologize; there's no other option."
Rubiales sees this as a lesson learned and must be more careful, especially in celebrations and similar complex issues, as the head of Spanish football.
Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips during Spain's women's team's coronation ceremony after the 2023 World Cup final on August 20th.
The day before, on Radio Marca , Rubiales claimed that kissing Hermoso was simply "two people showing affection in a gentle way" and didn't care about "the idiots," referring to those outraged by his actions. In the new video, Rubiales also apologized for this statement.
"I want to apologize to these people, because if the situation were viewed differently, they would certainly have their own reasons," he said.
The RFEF president also expressed regret that the incident caused unnecessary uproar on the day Spain made history by winning the Women's World Cup for the first time. Rubiales emphasized that coach Jorge Vilda and the women's players deserve the attention they deserve right now and that the celebration of the championship should be grand.
Rubiales was present on stage at the FIFA awards ceremony after the 2023 Women's World Cup final on August 20th, along with other officials, including FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Queen Letizia of Spain, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. On the podium, after presenting the medals, Rubiales hugged, placed her hands on Hermoso's head, and kissed her on the lips. Afterwards, the RFEF President patted her on the back as the number 11 player left.
The incident led to a wave of criticism against Rubiales. Spanish Minister of Culture and Sports Miquel Iceta stated that the RFEF head kissing the female player on the lips was "unacceptable" and demanded an apology. However, Hermoso's mother, Marisol Fuentes, told TVE : "Spain are the champions, the rest doesn't matter."
Rubiales is a former player who came through Atletico's youth academy, winning the Spanish Second Division title with Levante in 2004 and earning promotion to La Liga.
After retiring in 2009, Rubiales was elected President of the Spanish Players' Association and then President of the RFEF in May 2018. One of Rubiales' first major decisions was to sack coach Julen Lopetegui just before Spain's participation in the 2018 World Cup, due to the coach secretly reaching an agreement to manage Real Madrid.
Hong Duy
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