After the country’s top sports court started an investigation investigating his forcible kiss on the lips of athlete Jenni Hermoso, Spain’s suspended football federation head, Luis Rubiales, vowed he will continue to defend himself to prove the truth.
“I will continue to defend myself to prove the truth,” he said in a statement published by El Mundo, a national daily in Spain, on Friday. This is his first public comment since August 25.
“I want to send a message to all the good people in our country and beyond our borders, including those women who have really been attacked and who have my full support and understanding: this is not about gender, it is about truth,” he said.
Rubiales is being investigated by Spain’s sports court for kissing Hermoso during Spain’s Women’s World Cup final victory, and the top criminal court has begun a preliminary investigation into the event.
The federation chief apologized for his behavior in Sydney, but maintained that the kiss was consensual – Hermoso claims it was not, and she felt like a “victim of an assault.”
“On August 20, I made some obvious mistakes, for which I sincerely, from the heart, regret,” said Rubiales in his statement.
“I’ve learned that no matter how great the joy and how deep the emotion, even when you win a World Cup, sports leaders should be held to exemplary behaviour, and mine was not so.”
Rubiales reiterated that the kiss was “a mutual and consensual act” with “overflowing jubilation on both sides”.
The 46-year-old said he believed justice would prevail.
“I still have confidence in the independence of the bodies where this matter should be resolved, despite the political pressure and the interest-driven brutality of certain media outlets,” added Rubiales.
“Although information about this matter is being subjected to numerous manipulations, lies, and censorship, the truth has only one path, and that’s why I repeat, I trust that justice will be served.”
The Spanish football federation’s territorial presidents asked Rubiales to step down from his post last week, while over 80 women’s players are striking from the national team.