After the World Cup kiss scandal new testimonies condemn Rubiales

FIFA published testimonies given by English FA President Debbie Hewitt, who confirmed that the former Spanish Federation president was “aggressive” after the Women’s World Cup final.

FIFA revealed the testimonies collected by its disciplinary committee, which led it on October 30 to ban Luis Rubiales (46 years old) for 3 years from any football-related activity, due to his behavior during the coronation ceremony of the Spanish national team, which won over England 1-0 in Sydney. He kissed his compatriot Jenny Hermoso on the mouth without her consent.

Not only did Rubiales kiss striker Hermoso “fully and forcefully on the mouth,” according to the testimony of the president of the English Football Association, but he also engaged in erratic behavior with some of the female players on the England national team.

According to FIFA, Hewitt recounted how Rubiales “touched and caressed the face of the English player, Laura Coombs, which (the president of the English Football Association) found a little strange, and then apparently he forcefully kissed the English player, Lucy Bronze, on the face.”

Hewitt added that she "felt very uncomfortable and embarrassed" by the way Rubiales greeted the Spanish players.

The President of the English Football Association also referred to the “unpleasant and unnecessary aggressive” tone of the Spaniard, considering that he was “unhappy” with the place allocated to him by the International Federation employees before the coronation ceremony.

In his response, Rubiales considered Hewitt's description of him as a "bad person" to be "disgusting" and accused her of "blatant lies" or "speaking out of ignorance."

As for Combs, Rubiales explained that he “tried to console her” after she was injured in the final match.

The coronation ceremony of the Women's World Cup final witnessed a controversial moment that sparked global reactions, after Rubiales kissed striker Hermoso on the mouth.

Rubiales submitted his resignation on September 10, after being subjected to intense pressure, saying that he was the victim of a “disproportionate campaign” for what he had done, as he insisted that the kiss was consensual.