The president of the Spanish Football Federation has sparked controversy after he was filmed kissing a player on the lips following the nation’s World Cup victory.
La Roja beat England 1-0 to become world champions at Stadium Australia, with captain Olga Carmona scoring the game’s only goal.
Spain’s triumph replicated the exploits of the men’s team in 2010, but comes after the team was disrupted by a boycott of players who opposed the federation and coach Jorge Vilda.
Euphoria reigned in Sydney, but there was an awkward moment in the celebrations, with Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales.
The latter, aged 45, hugged several players on the stage before the official presentation of the trophy, after the medals were awarded.
But after hugging CF Pachuca’s Jenni Hermoso, Rubiales grabbed her head and kissed the former FC Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain player on the lips.
Many fans were disgusted by these scenes and Hermoso herself told Spanish television: “Eh… yes, I didn’t like that”.
Lo del presidente de la Federación de España Luis Rubiales in the final del Mundial es IMPRESENTABLE!!.
Le plantó a beso en la boca a Jenni Hermoso y tocó excessively a las jugadoras. pic.twitter.com/xXq9JPf73T
— 🏳️🌈Claudya Carolina🏳️🌈 (@ClaudyaCarolina) August 20, 2023
Hermoso was nonetheless overwhelmed with emotion after the historic win, telling RTVE: “It’s the best feeling of my life. We dedicate it to all our families and to the Spanish people, because we played football the way we wanted.
“We won a World Cup – we are world champions. We played football as we wanted to, but I think we are not yet aware of what we have achieved. »
