The Spanish football federation has threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of a row over its president’s conduct, for lying and defamation.
It has also threatened to sue the 79 women’s football players who signed a letter in which they refused to play for their country as long as Luis Rubiales remained in his post.
In a statement, the federation said it would take the “necessary legal action” and told the players that “playing for the national team is an obligation on any member of the federation called upon to do so”.
The move is the latest chapter in a fast-moving story after Rubiales kissed Hermoso after their World Cup victory a week ago, a kiss Hermoso said was not consensual and made her feel “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression”.
“At no time did I consent to the kiss,” Hermoso said in a statement. “I won’t tolerate having my word doubted, much less have people inventing things that I didn’t say.”
Shortly after the incident, the federation issued a statement in which Hermoso purportedly said the kiss was consensual and that she and Rubiales enjoyed a close relationship.
A report by the Madrid-based sports website Relevo said the federation had coerced her into making the statement. The federation denied this to the Associated Press.
In a written statement, Hermoso said: “I don’t want to interfere in the legal process but I feel obliged to report that the words used by Sr Luis Rubiales to explain what happened are categorically untrue and are part of the manipulative culture that he himself has created. I have not been respected.”
The federation reproduced a series of still photographs of the incident that it claimed showed that Hermoso lifted Rubiales off his feet and was not only willing but an instigator of the kiss.
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Both Rubiales’ rambling speech on Friday, in which he said he was a victim of a witch-hunt and “fake feminism”, and the federation’s defence of him are increasingly seen as a battle that goes far beyond football, in a struggle between an entrenched, entitled male hierarchy and a more modern, feminist Spain.
In an interview with El País, Miquel Iceta, the sports and culture minister, said: “I regret that for Spain, a country admired around the world as a champion of rights and freedoms, this episode has taken us back to an image of machista Spain in which women’s rights are not respected. It’s a backward step.”
Iceta added that as the federation had stood by Rubiales, the government would now take the necessary measures to remove him from his post.
Yolanda Díaz, Spain’s acting vice-president, said: “Señor Rubiales doesn’t understand what he’s done. He’s not up to the job. He should resign and save us the embarrassment. The days of impunity for macho behaviour are over.”
Hermoso and her colleagues have received support from several male players, among them the Real Betis striker Borja Iglesias, who has also refused to play for Spain under the federation’s current leadership. Sergi Roberto, the Barcelona captain, tweeted: “We’re all with you @jennihermoso.”
The England women’s football team, who lost to Spain in the World Cup final, also offered their support with a message on social media that read: “The behaviour of those who think they are invincible must not be tolerated and people shouldn’t need convincing to take action against any form of harassment. We all stand with you, @jennihermoso and all players of the Spanish team.”
