What’s in a kiss? More perhaps than just a moment of bliss. It was really rather stupid of Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish football association, to grip the women’s team captain Jenni Hermoso, as if she herself were the World Cup trophy, and plant a smacker full on her lips in the medal ceremony following the team’s victory over England. But he can hardly have expected the Spanish inquisition that has followed.
Rubiales’ defence is undermined not only be Hermoso’s outright rejection but by his own description of the kiss as ‘spontaneous’
Rubiales’ moment of giddy Latin exuberance/hateful misogyny (depending on your take) has completely overshadowed his country’s triumph in the Women’s World Cup and has now led to his suspension by Fifa. Rubiales can take no part in football related activity for an ‘initial’ period of 90 days. For their part, the Spanish Football Federation has said it will take legal action over Jenni Hermosa for lying about the incident.
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