Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales planted a kiss on the lips of his country’s female football team captain Jenni Hermoso after Spain celebrated its first Women’s World Cup title on Sunday, shocking the world.
The cringe-worthy moment was captured in a video which went viral on social media, sparking outrage from football-lovers.
While filming an Instagram live video from inside the locker room, Hermoso and her teammates got to know that the moment was seen on global TV and were audibly shocked while watching it.
Also Read | Who is Alexia Putellas?
“Hey, but I didn’t like that!” she said in the live video when Hermoso was asked about the incident in the comments.
There was no indication that Hermoso and Rubiales were in a relationship. In a separate statement to AFP, Hermosa appeared to defend Rubiales’ conduct by calling the moment a “natural gesture of affection.”
“It was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings,” Hermoso is attributed as saying in a statement released by the Spanish federation. “The president and I have a great relationship, his behavior with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude.”
Although Jennifer Hermoso is rumored to be single at the moment, she was once rumored to be dating her former teammate, Alexia Putellas, who is also a midfielder. According to Lee Daily, Hermoso was dating Putellas from 2020 to 2022.
Despite the rumors, Hermoso has never confirmed her sexual preference.
Who is Alexia Putellas?
Alexia Putellas is a Spanish professional footballer from Catalonia who plays as a midfielder for Liga F club Barcelona, which she captains, and the Spain women’s national team, which she has captained. She previously played for Espanyol and Levante, and has represented Catalonia.
Putellas has played for Barcelona since 2012, during which she has won seven league titles, seven Copas de la Reina, and two UEFA Women’s Champions League trophies. In Barcelona’s 2020–21 season, she played an essential role as her team won the Champions League as well as the resulting continental treble, both for the first time in their history.
Putellas then went on to win the UEFA Women’s Player of the Year Award, the Ballon d’Or Féminin, and The Best FIFA Women’s Player in 2021, becoming the first player to win all three in the same year. In 2022, she won all three awards again, despite missing the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 due to an ACL injury.
