The episode aired on Telecinco’s program Código 10 featured the testimony of Jenni Hermoso, a player for the Spanish national team, given before the Chief Prosecutor of the National Court, Marta Durántez. In her statement, Hermoso described the events that motivated her decision to file a complaint against Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, and explained how those moments affected her personally.
The National Court ruled that the Government should have acted against Rubiales earlier
Hermoso recalled that the incident was never consensual. She said she did not feel respected as a player or as a person. She described the moment as part of a historic episode and indicated she believed it would have consequences. She emphasized that she did not seek out the situation, yet found herself facing it during a high-profile moment.
In her testimony, the player detailed the moments leading up to the kiss. She described stepping back from the embrace and expressing concern about the situation. After the kiss occurred, she recalled a reaction by Rubiales that suggested he believed the team could secure victory and perhaps even etched into memory a sense of triumph that did not align with her own experience. She remembered his hands in contact with her head and stated that other sounds or details did not register for her at that instant.
Hermoso said she did not anticipate the event happening on that stage, during the World Cup trophy ceremony. The emotions of joy and celebration were present, yet she did not intend to participate in a moment that felt inappropriate. Her account emphasizes the shock she experienced in the immediate aftermath and the way she perceived the size of the moment, which had a lasting emotional impact.
She described the scene as historic and noted that the episode carried heavy consequences for all involved. She had initially trusted Rubiales as a reliable figure, which made the disclosure even more unsettling for her. She explained that once the kiss occurred, she sought out her teammates and spoke with them about what had happened, appearing visibly moved as she recounted the events.
Regarding her ability to react in the moment, Hermoso said that she did not anticipate what would unfold and did not expect to face such a situation on that stage. The World Cup ceremony, with its mix of excitement and happiness, did not align with her experience, and she struggled to understand the reasons behind the incident as it unfolded. She explained that after stepping down from the stage, she told her teammates about the incident, which helped her process the moment in real time.
The world champion’s narrative confirms that Hermoso experienced something historically significant and that she believed the event would have consequences in light of what happened. She stressed that she did nothing to provoke the situation and that her reaction came from a place of surprise and discomfort. In her account, she clarified that she immediately alerted her teammates about what had occurred and that their corroboration of the details provided additional context to the case.
As the testimony continued, Hermoso described the reactions she observed in others who witnessed the moment. She noted that there was a mix of emotion and concern among teammates and others in the vicinity, and she recalled the seriousness with which the incident was treated when viewed on video footage later on the bus. Her statements reflect a broader concern about respect, consent, and the impact of powerful figures on players and the sport as a whole.