“It was a reciprocal act,” maintains the former president of the Spanish Football Federation

“It was a reciprocal act”said the former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales in an interview given to journalist Piers Morgan and broadcast Tuesday September 12 on the British channel TalkTV, about the kiss to the player Jennifer Hermoso after the world title of the Feminine “Roja”.

“It was a reciprocal act, she came to me, very happy”he said about a gesture which has since caused him to have resigned and to be summoned on Friday by an investigating judge to be heard as an accused and respond to accusations of sexual assault.

“She lifted me, she lifted me in the air (…) We were both emotional. When we hit the ground, I had a brief exchange with her, we congratulated each other. I gave her a quick kiss. I asked her, can I give you a little kiss? Which is normal in our country (…) I remember she gave me a pat or two on the sides . She laughed, and that’s all.”explains the ex-leader during this interview as part of the show “Piers Morgan without filter”.

“No intention (malicious). And of course no sexual connotations or anything like that. Nothing but a moment of happiness, a great joy at that moment”assures Rubiales in this interview.

“My intentions were noble, 100% non-sexual, 100%, I repeat 100%.”

Luis Rubiales

to Piers Morgan

A version denied by Jenni Hermoso who said she “felt vulnerable and victim (…) of an impulsive and sexist act, inappropriate and without any consent of (my) go“. Rubiales then even maintained in front of Piers Morgan that he would have acted the same way if it had been a man: “There’s no doubt about it… When I was a player, there were occasions, when we avoided relegation or achieved promotion, for example, where we kissed each other on the lips.”.

Since a recent reform of the Spanish penal code, a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a criminal category bringing together all types of sexual violence.