Spain FA chief Luis Rubiales faces criticism after Jennifer Hermoso surprise kiss

Spanish Football Federation President criticized for surprise kiss on the lips of Jennifer Hermoso after Women's World Cup victory.

The President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, is facing backlash for his actions during the Women's World Cup final victory celebration. After Spain midfielder Jennifer Hermoso received her gold medal, Rubiales surprised her with a kiss on the lips. This incident was caught on video and shared on social media platforms.

Rubiales was on stage for FIFA's awards ceremony, joined by other notable figures such as FIFA President Gianni Infantino, Spain's Queen Letizia, and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. The video shows Rubiales embracing Hermoso, placing his hands on her head, and then kissing her. He pats her on the back as she walks away.

Hermoso's reaction to the incident was captured during an Instagram live video. In the video, she expressed her discomfort, saying, "Hey, I didn't like it, eh." This clip was shared by Spanish journalist Irati Vida on X, formerly known as Twitter. In the same Instagram live video, taken in Spain's locker room, Hermoso is asked about the incident by another woman. She responds, "But what am I supposed to do?"

When asked about the incident with Hermoso, Rubiales dismissed the criticism, stating, "The kiss with Jenni? There are idiots all over. When two people have a moment of affection without any importance, we can't listen to idiocy. We're champions and I stay with that."

However, the incident received further condemnation from various sources. Alberto Ortega of the Spanish newspaper El Confidencial called Rubiales' actions "disgusting." He criticized Rubiales for taking the trophy from the players to give it to Queen Letizia and for kissing Hermoso on the mouth. Ortega accused Rubiales of seeking attention and being the center of focus when it was not his place to do so.

Colin Millar, a journalist for the Daily Mirror who covers European soccer, also criticized Rubiales, describing his behavior as "not ok." Millar highlighted the emotional significance of this moment for the players and expressed his disapproval on X.

Hermoso was not the only Spanish player subjected to Rubiales' kisses during the post-match celebrations. After other members of the Spanish squad received their medals, videos emerged showing Rubiales kissing them on the cheeks and holding some of them in his arms. Another video clip captured Rubiales interrupting a group of Spanish players celebrating and kissing Olga Carmona, who scored Spain's winning goal, on the cheek.

In an Instagram Live video posted by Spain star Salma Paralluelo, Rubiales is seen entering the dressing room and informing the players that the RFEF will sponsor a trip to Ibiza for them. He also mentions that he plans to marry Hermoso there.

CNN has reached out to Hermoso's agent and the RFEF's press officer in Australia for comment on the incident but has not received a response at the time of publication.

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