Following a letter signed by 81 players and former players detailing a massive dismissal from the national team, Hermoso gives his strong version of the facts
It is a historic day for Spanish football 81 current and former players (the 23 world champions and 58 others) express their support for Jenni Hermoso after Luis Rubiales’ statements at the Extraordinary General Meeting on Friday, August 24.
Through a statement from the FutPro union, Hermoso assures that the kiss on the mouth that Rubiales gave him during the celebration of the world title that Spain won last Sunday has not been approved.
“As the footage shows, at no point did I consent to the kiss and, of course, I never attempted to educate the president in any way,” Hermoso insists. And he points out, “I will not tolerate my word being spoken.” interrogated, let alone make them up words I didn’t say”.
The full statement signed by 81 players and former players
“As a result of the events of this morning and given the bewilderment of the speech of the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Mr. Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar, the players of the senior team, recent world champions, support Jennifer Hermoso, they want to show their powerful and to express resounding condemnation of behavior that has violated the dignity of women.
Given the statements made by the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Jennifer Hermoso flatly denies that she agreed to the kiss that Don Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar gave her in the World Cup final. “I want to make it clear that, as can be seen in the footage, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no way did I attempt to educate the president. I will not tolerate my word being questioned, let alone words made up that I did not say,” says Hermoso.
From our association, we would like to emphasize that no woman should feel the need to comment on the powerful images that everyone has seen and, of course, should not be involved in non-consensual attitudes,” the players said in the FutPro statement.
The players of the Spanish football team, the current world champion, expect strong responses from the public power so that actions such as these do not go unpunished.
We want to end this statement by asking for real changes, both sporting and structural, that will help the national team continue to grow, to pass on this great success to future generations. We are saddened that such an unacceptable event could tarnish the greatest sporting success of Spanish women’s football.
After everything that happened during the Women’s World Cup, we would like to state that all players who sign this letter will not return to a national team call-up if the current leaders continue. The signing players are: Jennifer Hermoso; Alexia Putellas; Massa Rodriguez; Irene Paredes; Ona Batlle; Mariona Caldentey; Teresa Abelleira; Mary Perez; Tasting Coll; Aitana Bonmati; Laia Codina; Claudia Zornoza; Oihane Hernandez; Rocio Galvez; Irene Guerrero; Round Alba; Athens del Castillo; Eva Navarro; Enith Hall; Ivana Andres; Olga Carmona; Esther Gonzales; Salma Paralluelo; Elena Lete; Fiamma Benitez; Martha Cardona; Maite Oroz; Patricia Guijarro; Lola Gallardo; Nerea Eizagirre; Ainhoa Moraza; Maria Leon “Mapi”; Sandra Cloths; Claudia Pina; Amaiur Sarriegi; Leila Ouahabi; Laia Alexandri; Lucia Garcia; Andrea Pereira; Vero Boquete; Ainhoa Tirapu; Sandra Villanova; Ana Romero “Willy”; Silvia Meseguer; Nagore Calderon; Marta Torrejon; Lucia Rodriguez; Vicky Losada; Carmen Arce “Kubalita”; Priscilla Borgia; Natalia Pablos; Susan Guerrero; Larraitz Lucas; Elizabeth Benedict; Amanda Sampedro; Isabel Fuentes; Elizabeth Sanchez; Mari Paz Azagra; Vanessa Gimbert; Virginia Torrecilla; Leire Landa; Elizabeth Ibarra; Isi Gavilan ‘Isi’; Toña Is; Meli Nicolau; Gurutz Fernandez; Help Jimenez; Vanessa Moreno; Roser Serra; Maria Goni; Martha Moreno; Eli Capa; Maria Teresa Andreu; Prieto Sea; Maria Jose Perez; Maria Marco ‘Beni’; Paula Kasares; Maria Luisa Monzon; Nines Perez Urda; Angela Martin Martin; and Victoria Hernandez.
Statement by Jenni Hermoso: “I felt like a victim of aggression”
Later, Jenni Hermoso released another statement from her official Twitter account assuring that Rubiales’ “statements” are “categorically false,” that she “felt vulnerable and the victim of an attack,” and that “she is not in any way moment felt produced the conversation to which Mr. Luis Rubiales refers”.
“I don’t have to support a person (Rubiales) who committed this action against my will without respecting me,” said the Pachuca de México footballer. “The Federation pressured my environment to give testimony that had nothing to do with my feelings,” he denounces.
Hermoso also indicates that “this is just the straw that breaks the camel’s back, but these kinds of attitudes have been part of our national team’s daily life for years.” “It was an impulsive, sexist act and without any kind of consent,” he says.
Source: Goal