The ex-football of Spain Luis Rubiales in trials on the Kiss World Cup

The former president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, is judged on Monday, accused of sexual assault for kissing the player Jenni Hermoso, in a case that has given broader discussions on sexism and consent.

Hermoso should appear as a witness on the day of opening after having traveled from Mexico, where she plays club football. The trial takes place until February 19.

While the Spanish players received their medals after defeating England in Sydney to win the 2023 World Cup, Rubials caught Hermoso by the head and kissed it on the lips. Subsequently, Hermoso said that the kiss had not been consensual, while Rubials insisted that it had been.

The incident triggered demonstrations and calls for the resignation of Rubials, and he also entered the political arena. Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez, whose left government has approved reforms aimed at strengthening gender equality and guaranteeing sexual relations consent, said that the kiss of rubials had shown that “there is still a long way To be traveled with regard to equality and respect between women and men “.

After being initially provisional and denounced a witch hunt motivated by “false feminism”, the president of the federation finally resigned, before legal accusations were brought against him.

Prosecutors ask Rubials to receive a one -year prison sentence for sexual assault for the kiss. They also call to have a sentence of a year and a half for coercion, for having allegedly tried to put pressure on hermoso to say publicly that the kiss was consensual. Rubials denies the charges.

Three colleagues from Rubials are also tried, accused of collusion in the alleged coercion: Jorge Vilda, coach of the winning team of the World Cup, Rubén Rivera, former marketing chief of the Federation, and former sports director, Albert Luque. They deny all the accusations.

Isabel Fuentes looked closely at the national women’s team since she was among the first women to represent Spain in football, from 1971. She describes the fury caused by the kiss of the rubials as “very sad”, Due to the way she overshadowed the victory of the World Cup, which, once mentioned, brings her to the edge of tears.

“It was something that we would have liked to live, but we were not allowed to do it,” she said. “These players won him for us. They lived our dreams.”

Fuentes played when Francisco Franco’s dictatorship was still in place and the female team was not even allowed to wear the Spanish flag on their shirts.

“The regime said,” We don’t want you to play football, but we will ignore you “,” she said. “And the Federation has put all kinds of obstacles on our way.”

Like many fans, she was concerned about the way in which the controversy of the Rubials assigned the international image of Spanish football and was also shocked by images showing the former president of the Federation celebrating the victory of the Cup of the By seizing his crotch while he was standing a few meters from Spain Reine Letizia.

But young players, like Belén Peralta, prefer to emphasize how much women’s football has passed, rather than dwelling on the rubial affair. Playing for the side of the third division Olimpia Las Rozas, Peralta says that even in recent years, she has noticed a change in terms of attention and support that women’s football receives.

“When I was younger, the girls playing football were rather strange, we told you:” Oh, it’s for boys “, or” it’s not a girl’s “” thing, she said . “And nowadays, you go in some places and you say:” I am a footballer “, and it’s so cool and attractive.”

His teammate, Andrea Rodríguez, agrees. Although she says that sometimes she could hear sexist comments on women’s football, social attitudes are extremely positive.

“People are more open-minded now,” she said.