The brother of Jenni Hermoso and one of her teammates told a judge Wednesday there were attempts to pressure the player into downplaying the unsolicited kiss by former Spanish federation president Luis Rubiales in the awards presentation ceremony following the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Rafael Hermoso said in court that former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda asked him to tell Jenni to record a video together with the former president to show she was OK with the kiss.
Former teammate Misa Rodríguez said Jenni told the other players that she was being coerced and that she was “not well” after what happened.
Rubiales is on trial for sexual assault for kissing Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup won by Spain in Sydney, as well as for coercion for allegedly trying to convince the player to support his version of the kiss.
Vilda and two other former members of the federation are also on trial for coercion. All four deny wrongdoing.
Jenni Hermoso said she did not consent to the kiss while Rubiales says it was consensual. The kiss marred the title celebrations and sparked outrage in Spain about the prevalence of sexism in sports and beyond.
Rafael Hermoso said his sister told him she was pressured several times by members of the Spanish federation.
“She came to us…
