“It was a natural expression of affection.”

Jennifer Hermoso released a statement on Tuesday (ET) dismissing the controversy surrounding her kiss with Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales as a “natural gesture of affection” at the FIFA 2023 Women’s World Cup Australia-New Zealand victory ceremony.메이저사이트

Spain, which reached the round of 16 in 2015 and the round of 16 in 2019, won its first-ever title with a 1-0 victory over the Women’s World Cup 2022 champions, England, in the final. The pre-tournament feud between head coach Jorge Bilda and his players was so intense that 15 players sent real-name emails to the Spanish Football Federation demanding the coach’s dismissal, and 12 of the 15 players did not accompany him to the World Cup, as the federation declared that “players do not have the right to choose their coach”. Spain suffered a humiliating 0-4 loss to Japan in the group stage. Led by European Champions League winners Barcelona, the squad got stronger as they progressed through the quarterfinals and semifinals of the tournament. Players and federations alike were thrilled by the miracle of their unexpected victory.

At the championship ceremony, which was broadcast live on BBC Sport, Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Football Federation, was criticized by fans on social media for excessive displays of affection, including cheek kisses and hugs as he presented Spain’s players with their medals on the podium, especially when he grabbed Hermoso by the hair and kissed her on the lips. The controversy escalated when Hermoso took to Instagram Live from the locker room to express that she “didn’t like it. Rubiales came under fire again for making light of his behavior when he joked that the president of the club would be giving the players a trip to Ibiza as a reward for winning the World Cup, saying it would be an opportunity to “celebrate the wedding of Jenny and Luis Rubiales.

As the controversy grew, Hermoso was quoted in Spanish media as saying that the podium kiss was a “natural expression of affection” and that “President Rubiales has a good relationship with the national team. “It was a completely spontaneous reciprocal gesture due to the immense joy of winning the World Cup,” Hermos said again via Instagram Live. “The president and I have a good relationship and he has shown us all exemplary behavior, and this was a natural expression of affection and gratitude,” he explained.

“There is no need to over-analyze gestures of friendship and gratitude. We won the World Cup and we will not deviate from this important fact.”