Spain's Hermoso claims that the World Cup kiss from Rubiales has damaged her reputation

Spanish TV has broadcasted the statement of World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso to prosecutors, where she alleges that Spain's former football chief, Luis Rubiales, kissed her on the lips without her consent. This is the first time that Ms Hermoso's account has been heard in her own words, and she expresses feeling disrespected as both a player and a person. Rubiales has denied sexually assaulting and coercing Hermoso but eventually resigned due to public outcry. In her statement, Hermoso complains that her image has been tarnished by the Spanish Football Federation and that she received no protection as an employee of the federation. She recalls the incident occurring after Spain won the Women's World Cup when Rubiales kissed her on the lips and expressed that the victory was thanks to her. She recalls feeling shocked as she did not expect such behavior in that scenario. Hermoso also shares the pressure she has faced since the incident, which has led her to leave Madrid. She mentions informing her teammates about the incident but states that football federation officials approached her before they left the stadium and asked her to sign a press statement indicating that the kiss was mutual. Hermoso emphasizes that she felt coerced in this situation. She mentions a video showing her teammates joking about the kiss on the bus, but she did not address it as she did not want to dampen the celebratory mood. Hermoso also reveals that Rubiales approached her on the plane home and asked her to appear in a video with him for his daughters' sake. Rubiales, who resigned last month, maintained that the kiss was consensual. Former team coach Jorge Vilda is currently being investigated regarding his involvement in pressuring Hermoso to claim the kiss was consensual. Vilda denies seeking to coerce Hermoso and states that he did not witness the kiss. However, he admits to speaking to Hermoso's brother on the flight from Sydney to Madrid. The pressure from federation figures continued even after the team returned to Spain, involving Hermoso's family and friend. The RFEF's marketing director, Rubén Rivera, also denies attempting to persuade Hermoso or her brother to absolve Rubiales of any blame. Hermoso has since returned to the Mexican club Pachuca, where she has gained prominence in Mexico's Liga MX.