Spain PM demands Rubiales take further steps to clarify kiss incident

“We’ve seen his apology and that’s not enough, he must be much clearer and convincing in apologising. He must take more steps to clarify a behaviour that is unacceptable,” he said.

The video of Rubailes’ unexpected kiss on the national player’s lips during post-game celebrations gained significant traction on social media, causing a widespread negative response from online users.

When Hermoso initially experienced the kiss, which occurred as Rubiales held her face with his hands, her immediate response was to make a remark to her fellow teammates in the locker room.

“Hey, I didn’t like it,” she said, according to video footage posted on Instagram and YouTube by several media outlets.

Nevertheless, she minimized the occurrence in a statement released via the federation.

As negative feedback increased, Rubiales released a video expressing regret on Monday evening, following her initial labeling of critics as “foolish.”

“Surely I was wrong, I have to admit,” Rubiales said in the video statement sent by the federation. “It was without bad faith at a time of maximum effusiveness.”

Gender-related matters have gained significant attention in Spain in recent years. The coalition government, led by the Socialist party, has introduced several legal changes pertaining to issues such as pay equality, abortion rights, the regulation of sex work, and the rights of transgender individuals.

Nonetheless, a legal gap in a law concerning sexual consent led to the premature release of certain convicted rapists. As a consequence, this situation caused a significant loss of support for the hard-left party Podemos during the local elections in May. It’s important to note that Podemos oversees the Equality Ministry, which was responsible for crafting the aforementioned law.