Jenni Hermoso insists ‘she didn’t deserve to live through’ the Luis Rubiales kiss-gate scandal and hits out how ‘she had no protection’ as her testimony to prosecutors is revealed

• Luis Rubiales eventually resigned as Spanish FA chief after the kiss-gate scandal
• Jenni Hermoso’s testimony to prosecutors on the incident has been revealed
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast ‘It’s All Kicking Off!’ 

Jenni Hermoso’s reaction to the kiss-gate scandal with disgraced former Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales has been revealed after her testimony to the Prosecutor’s Office was broadcast on TV.

Ever since Spain won the World Cup in August, it has been a tumultuous and dramatic period for Spanish football after Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of their final victory over England.

Rubiales – who repeatedly claimed the kiss was consensual – eventually resigned from his position despite initially refusing to do so, although he is battling charges of sexual assault and coercion.

Meanwhile, controversial former manager Jorge Vilda – who was closely linked to Rubiales and offered a new contract by the 46-year-old shortly before he resigned – was also sacked from his role.

And, for the first time, Hermoso’s testimony to prosecutors has been reported after it was featured on Spanish TV channel, Telecinco’s, ‘Codigo 10’ show.

Jenni Hermoso’s testimony to Spanish prosecutors about the Luis Rubiales kiss-gate scandal has been revealed after it was broadcast on TV 

It has been a tumultuous period for Spanish football after Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of their World Cup final victory over England back in August

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Reflecting on the incident as a whole, the World Cup winner said: ‘At that moment (the kiss) I did not have time to react. I don’t deserve to have lived through all this. 

‘I was in shock. A historic event that has cost us our lives to achieve. At no time could I have expected that to happen.

‘Because of the adrenaline I hugged him (Rubiales), he was a trustworthy person and no one would expect that, no matter how spontaneous it was.’

Hermoso has since returned to Mexico for club duties, where she represents Pachuca, and also hit out at the lack of support she felt she received when the saga kicked off, along with Rubiales’ claims that she had lied about consenting to the kiss.

She added: ‘I kept being asked to protect him (Rubiales) and help them (the Spanish FA). They tarnished my image, I felt that no one was protecting me. 

‘I want to make it clear that at no time did I consent to the kiss he gave me and in no way did I seek to encourage the president. I do not tolerate my words being called into question and much less for them to invent words that I did not say.

‘It has been very difficult not being able to leave home. I had to leave Madrid so as not to have that pressure. Why do I have to be crying in a room when I haven’t done anything?’ 

During the testimony, Hermoso was also asked about the immediate fall-out from the kiss and she revealed the pressure she faced from both Hermoso and Vilda to try and help them out.

She said: ‘Clearly I felt disrespected. At that moment I was not respected either as a player or as a person. 

‘I was experiencing something that was historic. They were subjecting me to something that I never sought or did to find myself in that situation.

‘I told Irene (Paredes) and Alexia (Putellas) what had happened. They asked me what could I do. I kept thinking (despite the kiss) that I would always regret it if I had not enjoyed that moment. 

‘When we see the images of the celebrations, it’s like: “Has this been real?”. I am clear: I was in a state of shock.

‘He (Rubiales) told me: “You have to help me with a video in Doha, they are calling me a stalker”. I told him that I would not. He told me: “You have to do it for my two daughters – they are crying”. I refused. I felt coerced.’

She continued: ‘A teammate told me to watch out because Vilda is going around to speak with my family. 

‘My brother told me that he let them know that if I helped him (Rubiales) it would be good for me. That it was what I had to do.’

Rubiales came under intense scrutiny following the incident, with protests against his presidency taking place across Spain and high-profile individuals calling for him to resign.

FIFA handed him an initial 90-day suspension, and pushed to ban him for longer, while the Spanish FA publicly apologised for his behaviour. 

Hermoso lodged a formal complaint last month after claiming the kiss was not consensual and prosecutors announced they had made their formal complaint to a judge at the Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid.

Rubiales repeatedly insisted the kiss was consensual and described it as a ‘peck’.

The former Spanish FA president eventually resigned in an interview with Piers Morgan after weeks of criticism over his conduct.

He admitted in the interview that the kiss was ‘a mistake’ but insisted ‘there was no harm, no sexual content, no aggression.’ 

His resignation was eventually confirmed in a lengthy statement in which Rubiales accepted he ‘could not return’ to his role as president but continued to insist ‘many falsehoods’ had been spread about him.

Rubiales has also been banned from contacting Hermoso or being within 200 metres of her.

In the testimony, Hermoso also recounted the pressure she was put under to help out Rubiales 

She explained how she felt she had no support and that her image was being unfairly tarnished

Rubiales’ 72-year-old mum Angeles Bejar went on hunger strike at a church in her son’s hometown of Motril near Granada for two days – which she said she had launched it to get Hermoso to ‘tell the truth’ about the kiss – before she was rushed to hospital 48 hours into her protest.

According to a sexual consent law passed last year, Rubiales could face a fine or a prison sentence of one to four years if found guilty of sexual assault. 

Elsewhere, new Spain boss Montse Tome – who took over from Vilda – included 15 of their World Cup winners in her squad for games against Sweden and Switzerland last month, but not Hermoso. 

Speaking after her squad was announced, Tome said: ‘We are with Jenni and with all the players. As for Jenni, we felt the best way to protect her in this squad was in this way.’

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