Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso told a Madrid court on Monday that the forced kiss from former football chief Luis Rubiales “shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting,” as she testified in his high-profile trial.
Rubiales, 47, caused international outrage after he grabbed Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips without consent during Spain’s 2023 Women’s World Cup victory celebrations. Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence, including one year for sexual assault and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso to downplay the incident.
“This shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting… A kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so,” Hermoso, 34, told the court in San Fernando de Henares. “As a woman, I felt disrespected. It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
Hermoso rejected Rubiales’ claim that the kiss was a harmless “peck between friends” and insisted she neither sought nor expected it. “I don’t have to be crying in a room or have thrown myself to the ground when the act happened to imply I didn’t like it,” she added.

Rubiales will testify on February 12 in a trial running until February 19. Former Spain women’s team coach Jorge Vilda and two ex-federation officials, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque, are also accused of attempting to pressure Hermoso into staying silent. Prosecutors are seeking 18-month jail terms for them.
Hermoso revealed that Luque had urged her to help resolve “the biggest mess” of Rubiales’ career, while federation officials persistently pressured her to issue a statement minimising the incident.
Federation press chief Patricia Perez Requena supported Hermoso’s testimony, telling the court that a statement was drafted to downplay the kiss. She recalled Hermoso being too exhausted to engage, telling them, “do what you want.”
After returning to Spain, Hermoso faced intense media scrutiny and death threats, forcing her to leave Madrid with her family out of fear. “Until today, it feels like my life has been on standby,” she admitted.
The scandal, which highlighted sexism in Spanish football, led to Rubiales’ resignation in September 2023. He was already under investigation for alleged corruption during his tenure as federation president.
Hermoso’s case has turned her into a symbol of the fight against misogyny in sports, with Spain’s men’s national team manager Luis de la Fuente among those who will testify on Tuesday.