Se Acabó: Jenni Hermoso delivers testimony as Luis Rubiales trial begins | OneFootball

The trial of former RFEF President Luis Rubiales for his non-consensual kiss at the 2023 World Cup began this week. A Madrid court heard testimony from Jennifer Hermoso, as well as from former director of women’s football Ana Álvarez.

The non-consensual kiss, which happened in Australia at the tournament’s final medal ceremony, sparked international outcry. In more than two hours of testimony, Hermoso reflected on the impact of her refusal to downplay the incident. The 34-year-old described the living hell she has endured, including death threats and press harassment.

“My life changed from that moment on. I didn’t enjoy being a world champion after setting foot in Madrid. My life has been on stand-by, and I haven’t been able to live freely,” she said.

Rubiales faces charges of sexual assault and coercion in this trial. Former Spain Manager Jorge Vilda, former Head of Marketing Rubén Rivera, and former men’s sporting director Albert Luque are also on trial for coercion related to the incident.

Jenni Hermoso: “I was afraid to walk down the street”

The day began with a shaky start, as Hermoso and Rubiales accidentally met in the corridors of the court. Press staff and National Police were quick to separate the two, yet they came face-to-face in the courtroom. Hermoso chose to testify in full view of the accused, who sat separated by their lawyers.

Throughout the player’s testimony, Rubiales looked visibly nervous. He frequently shook his head, avoided looking at Hermoso, and leaned over to talk to his lawyer. After an hour of testimony, the Tigres UANL player complained about his distracting manner.

Embed from Getty Images

The bulk of Hermoso’s testimony was reiterating her experience of the incident: “I didn’t hear or understand anything. The next thing he did was kiss me on the mouth… He grabbed my head so hard, so strong, that I couldn’t react at that moment. I knew that my boss was kissing me, and this should not happen in any work context.”

In a contentious cross-examination by Rubiales’ lawyer, the player was asked if she had the former President’s number and if she ever sent him ‘kissing emojis.’

Hermoso has faced significant backlash following the incident, with many labelling her partying following the World Cup win as proof of consent. Videos, allegedly leaked by the RFEF, showed the Madrid native joking about the kiss with teammates. In her testimony, she set the record straight:  “I don’t have to be crying or sitting in the back seat to make it clear that I didn’t like that.”

Staff members attest to RFEF’s coercion effort

Embed from Getty Images

Following Hermoso’s testimony, Ana Álvarez took to the stand. Álvarez highlighted conversations in which the federation and Rubiales tried to pressure Hermoso to release a statement.

“I knew that a few hours earlier she had been asked to make a statement by intuition and because of the tension I was perceiving. On the way between the hotel and the airport, they [the defendants] said they had to speak to Jenni because a statement had to be issued… Pablo García Cuervo [former director of Communications for the RFEF] sent me the text in quotes of what they wanted to be shown to Jenni, [and said that] we had to have her approval to release it.”

Álvarez confirmed she had been ‘reprimanded’ by Rubiales for not asking the player to approve the statement on the way from the hotel to the airport. Hermoso has always denied that the statement released by the RFEF following the incident was written or approved by her.

Press officer pushed to lie

Embed from Getty Images

Finally, Spanish women’s national team press officer Patricia Pérez detailed the ‘ambush’ she experienced from colleagues trying to exonerate the then-president of wrongdoing. In particular, Pérez highlighted the RFEF’s internal ‘investigation’ into the incident.

She alleges that then-deputy communication director of the federation Enrique Yunta, provided her with questions and pre-written answers. These answers contained falsehoods around the incident itself, as well as the subsequent events. Upon arriving at the RFEF office, Pérez met nine individuals including Rubiales, his father, and men’s national team coach Luis de la Fuente.

The press officer alleged that Rubiales explicitly asked her to include specific phrases in her statement. While she refused some of them due to being unable to verify their validity, after hours of discussion, she ultimately signed a document crafted by others in the room.

Further testimony from national team members in Rubiales trial

A further 20+ witnesses are expected to testify in the Rubiales trial over the coming days. Among them, national team players such as Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, and Laia Codina will share their experiences. All three reflected on the incident in Netflix’s documentary, #SeAcabó: Diario de las Campeona. After its release, both Parades and Hermoso were controversially dropped from the national team.

Current Spain manager and former Vilda assistant Monte Tomé will also testify. Hearings are expected to last two weeks.

Related articles from Her Football Hub: