Luis Rubiales tells court he asked Jenni Hermoso if he could kiss her

The former Spanish football federation boss Luis Rubiales has told a court that he asked the player Jenni Hermoso if he could kiss her before doing so after the Women’s World Cup victory in 2023.

“I am absolutely sure that she gave me her permission,” Rubiales, 47, told the court in Madrid. “In that moment it was something completely spontaneous.”

Rubiales is accused of sexual assault and then attempting to coerce Hermoso, with the help of three other former football federation officials, into publicly saying the kiss on the lips at the awards ceremony in Australia had been consensual.

He has denied the charges, saying the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso has said it was not.

The ensuing scandal eclipsed Spain’s first Women’s World Cup victory and spurred efforts by Spain’s female players to expose sexism and achieve parity with male counterparts.

More details soon …