Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has told a court that he asked Jenni Hermoso for permission before kissing her after Spain’s victory at the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.
Rubiales is accused of sexual assault and of trying to coerce Hermoso into publicly supporting him following the incident.
During his testimony at a court in Madrid on Tuesday, Rubiales told a court he asked Hermoso if he could give her a kiss, “and she said OK.”
He told the court: “When Jenny approached me, she made a gesture at me, a face (that showed) that we have known each other for many years and it was obviously (a face she made) because we were now the champions.
“She had missed a penalty and with the tension during the game, it was tremendous for her.
“But I told her, ‘Forget about the penalty, we are champions. This is also thanks to you. Without you we couldn’t have achieved it.’
“She squeezed me very hard under the armpits, lifted me up and when I went back down, I asked her if I can give her a kiss and she said OK.”
Rubiales also said he got carried away in the moment.
“It is not this common to win a World Cup… I made a mistake and put my foot in my mouth.”
“I behaved like an athlete who achieves success,” Rubiales said, adding: “I should have acted cold-blooded and played a more institutional role.”
In response, Rubiales, 47, said that the kiss had been “mutual.” Hermoso has always denied that is the case.
On February 3, Hermoso testified Rubiales had pressured her to make a statement, downplaying the incident amid a public backlash against him.
“I told him no, that I wasn’t going to do anything,” Hermoso said. “I told him I was sorry, but I wasn’t going to do it.”
On Tuesday, a lip-reading expert called to testify by Rubiales’ legal team told the court that two video clips of the incident showed Rubiales asking Hermoso: “Can I give you a little kiss?”
