06 November 2023 , 15:43
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Spain striker J enni Hermoso says she nearly quit football and has received myriad threats in the fallout of the Luis Rubiales World Cup saga.
The disgraced former Spanish football chief was hit with a three-year ban from all football-related activity last week after the FIFA Disciplinary Committee deemed his actions at the Women's World Cup - which included grabbing his crotch in celebration at Spain's 1-0 victory over England, as well as kissing Hermoso during the winner's medal ceremony - in contravention of the FIFA Disciplinary Code.
Hermoso, 33, maintains that the kiss was not consensual Spanish football was plunged into disarray amid the furore following the Spain national team's World Cup triumph, with the incident garnering widespread criticism as Rubiales faced calls to resign - including from the Spanish government.
Despite resigning from his position in September, the 46-year-old has vociferously maintained the consensual nature of the kiss in front of Spain's High Court amid the ongoing probe into the incident. He stated he will also appeal the ban imposed by FIFA.
And Hermoso, who filed a formal complaint against Rubiales earlier this year, has opened up on the impact the saga has had on her physical and emotional wellbeing.
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“I have had to assume the consequences of an act that I did not provoke, that I had not chosen or premeditated," she told GQSpain in her first interview with media since the summer's showpiece event. "I have received threats, and that is something you never get used to.”
The 33-year-old added: “They have been very difficult weeks. But thanks to my psychologist I feel strong and I am not broken down or thinking about quitting football. I have not lost my enthusiasm."
Luis Rubiales originally refused to resign following the incident (Getty Images)Hermoso plies her trade with Mexican club side CF Pachuca and was recalled to new Spain manager Montse Tome's squad for the first time since the World Cup over the last international break. It was a dream return for the forward as she came off the bench to score an 89th minute winner against Italy in the UEFA Nations League.
Support for Hermoso has seen her emerge as the face of the #SeAcabo (#MeToo) movement in Spain, but the striker acknowledged that she also now represents a contentious figure for some.
"People will hate me or love me, but I have my way of thinking and I don't mind saying it openly: I don't know if their support would have made everything easier, but it certainly would have helped us a lot," she said.
Hermoso voiced her gratitude for compatriots Borja Iglesias , Hector Bellerin, Oscar Trejo and Isco , who were the first to position themselves against Rubiales. However, she lamented the lack of unanimity within men's football.
Spain's Jennifer Hermoso celebrates scoring the winner against Italy (Photo by Daniela Porcelli/Eurasia Sport Images/Getty Images)"We have the philosophy of being united and doing what we feel, and that is how we have achieved everything we have achieved so far."
Part of the infamous Las 15, a group of Spanish national team players who boycotted selection in response to the ongoing employment of controversial former team boss Jorge Vilda, Hermoso said the events of the last few months has forced necessary change within the Spanish football system.
"Being able to fight for this [more dignified conditions for female soccer players] is another source of pride and that is where I really want to be noticed. If I have to put my face forward to achieve change, go ahead," she said.
"I have always liked being with the national team, representing my country, but there was something that never let me fully enjoy it and if this had not happened, everything would have remained the same.”
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