Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso: Who said what in World Cup kiss row

Published

1 year ago

August 26, 2023

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What should have been a celebration of Spanish football has turned into an almighty row between the women’s team and the leaders of the game.

The Women’s World Cup winners are refusing to play while the country’s federation boss Luis Rubiales clings onto his job – as FIFA provisionally suspended him on Saturday from “all football-related activities”.

The crisis was caused after Mr Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards presentation following Spain’s 1-0 victory over England on Sunday in Sydney, Australia.

This is what those involved have said in the days following the incident.

In an Instagram video during celebrations after the incident, the 33-year-old said: “I did not like it, but what could I do?”

She later told the AFP news agency: “It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings.

“The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”

She also downplayed the kiss in a statement released by the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

But in a statement released by players’ union FUTPRO on Friday, she said she was “vulnerable” and “the victim of an aggression”.

“I want to clarify that, as was seen in the images, at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and, of course, in no case did I seek to lift the president,” she said.

“I do not tolerate that my word is questioned and much less that words that I have not said are invented.”

Luis Rubiales’ apology

The 46-year-old issued an apology on Monday, which said: “We saw it as something normal, natural and not in any way in bad faith. But outside it seems that a commotion has been created.

“When you are president of an institution as important as the federation, you have to be more careful.”

At an extraordinary general assembly called by the RFEF on Friday, at which he was widely expected to stand down, he declared “I won’t resign,” five times in quick succession to applause from many of the male-dominated audience.

He claimed the kiss was “mutual and with the consent” of Hermoso and said that he was the victim of a witch hunt by “false feminists.”

In his speech he said the player “lifted me up” in a celebratory gesture and he asked her for “a little kiss?” and she “said yes.”

“The kiss was the same I could give one of my daughters,” Rubiales said.

He said that he would defend his honour in court against politicians, including two ministers, who called his kiss an act of sexual violence.

What the Spanish players’ union says

FUTPRO on Wednesday said it would defend Hermoso’s interests and ensure that the act “does not go unpunished.”

A total of 56 players, including all of the 23-strong World Cup-winning squad, signed a joint statement after Mr Rubiales refused to resign on Friday in which they said they will not play any further matches until the “federation leadership is removed”.

The Spanish football federation’s response

RFEF has stood by Mr Rubiales, accusing Hermoso and FUTPRO of lying and threatening legal action.

A lengthy statement released by the federation in the early hours of Saturday morning was accompanied by four photos said to support his version of events, two of which show him hugging Hermoso with his feet off the ground.

“The tests are conclusive. Mr President has not lied,” the statement said.

“The RFEF and Mr President will demonstrate each of the lies that are spread either by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player herself.

“The RFEF and Mr President, given the seriousness of the content of the FUTPRO Union’s press release, will initiate the corresponding legal actions.”

What has FIFA done?

Football’s world governing body suspended Mr Rubiales on Saturday and ordered him and the RFEF not to contact or try to contact Hermoso.

FIFA said in a statement: “The chairman of the FIFA Disciplinary Committee, Jorge Ivan Palacio (Colombia), in use of the powers granted by article 51 of the FIFA Disciplinary Code (FDC), has decided today to provisionally suspend Mr Luis Rubiales from all football-related activities at national and international level.

“This suspension, which will be effective as of today, is for an initial period of 90 days, pending the disciplinary proceedings opened against Mr Luis Rubiales on Thursday 24 August.”

World

More than a dozen people missing after tourist boat sinks off coast of Egypt

Published

10 hours ago

November 25, 2024

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More than a dozen people missing after tourist boat sinks off coast of Egypt

More than a dozen people are missing after a tourist boat sank in the Red Sea off the coast of Egypt, officials have said.

The boat, Sea Story, was carrying 45 people, including 31 tourists of varying nationalities and 14 crew.

Authorities are searching for 17 people who are still missing, the governor of the Red Sea region said on Monday, adding that 28 people had been rescued.

The vessel was part of a diving trip when it went down near the coastal town of Marsa Alam.

Officials said a distress call was received at 5.30am local time on Monday.

The boat had departed from Port Ghalib in Marsa Alam on Sunday and was scheduled to reach its destination of Hurghada Marina on 29 November.

Some survivors had been airlifted to safety on a helicopter, officials said.

It was not immediately clear what caused the four-deck, wooden-hulled motor yacht to sink.

The firm that operates the yacht, Dive Pro Liveaboard in Hurghada, said it has no information on the matter.

According to its maker’s website, the Sea Story was built in 2022.

The incident comes after the Egyptian Meteorological Authority issued a warning on Saturday about turbulence and high waves on the Red Sea.

The organisation had advised against maritime activity for Sunday and Monday.

Some tourist companies have stopped or limited operations on the Red Sea due to the potential dangers from conflicts in the region.

World

Ukraine war: Russia launches drone strike on Kyiv – as commander ‘sacked for lying about war progress’

Published

23 hours ago

November 25, 2024

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Ukraine war: Russia launches drone strike on Kyiv - as commander 'sacked for lying about war progress'

Russia launched a large drone attack on Kyiv overnight, with Volodymyr Zelenskyy warning the attack shows his capital needs better air defences.

Ukraine’s air defence units shot down 50 of 73 Russian drones launched, with no immediate reports of damage or injuries as a result of the attacks.

Russia has used more than 800 guided aerial bombs and around 460 attack drones in the past week.

Warning that Ukraine needs to improve its air defences, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said: “An air alert has been sounded almost daily across Ukraine this week”.

“Ukraine is not a testing ground for weapons. Ukraine is a sovereign and independent state.

“But Russia still continues its efforts to kill our people, spread fear and panic, and weaken us.”

Russia did not comment on the attack.

It comes as Russian media reported that Colonel General Gennady Anashkin, the commander of the country’s southern military district, had been removed from his role over allegedly providing misleading reports about his troops’ progress.

While Russian forces have advanced at the fastest rate in Ukraine since the start of the invasion, forces have been much slower around Siversk and the eastern region of Donetsk.

Russian war bloggers have long complained that units there are poorly supported and thrown into deadly battles for little tactical gain.

Russia’s ministry of defence has not commented on the reports.

World

Russian forces capture ‘former British soldier’ fighting for Ukraine – reports

Published

1 day ago

November 24, 2024

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Russian forces capture 'former British soldier' fighting for Ukraine - reports

Russian forces have reportedly captured a British man while he was fighting for Ukraine.

In a widely circulated video posted on Sunday, the man says his name is James Scott Rhys Anderson, aged 22.

He says he is a former British Army soldier who signed up to fight for Ukraine’s International Legion after his job.

He is dressed in army fatigues and speaks with an English accent as he says to camera: “I was in the British Army before, from 2019 to 2023, 22 Signal Regiment.”

He tells the camera he was “just a private”, “a signalman” in “One Signal Brigade, 22 Signal Regiment, 252 Squadron”.

“When I left… got fired from my job, I applied on the International Legion webpage. I had just lost everything. I just lost my job,” he said.

“My dad was away in prison, I see it on the TV,” he added, shaking his head. “It was a stupid idea.”

In a second video, he is shown with his hands tied and at one point, with tape over his eyes.

He describes how he had travelled to Ukraine from Britain, saying: “I flew to Krakow, Poland, from London Luton. Bus from there to Medyka in Poland, on the Ukraine border.”

Russian state news agency Tass reported that a military source said a “UK mercenary” had been “taken prisoner in the Kursk area” of Russia.

The UK Foreign Office said it was “supporting the family of a British man following reports of his detention”.

The Ministry of Defence has declined to comment at this stage.