Hermoso's Brother, Teammate Testify in Rubiales Trial

Jenni Hermoso's Brother and Teammate Testify in Sexual Assault Trial Against Former Spanish Federation President

The brother of Jenni Hermoso, a star player on the Spanish women's national football team, and one of her teammates testified in court on Wednesday, alleging attempts to pressure Hermoso into downplaying an unsolicited kiss by former federation president Luis Rubiales.

Rafael Hermoso told the court that former national team coach Jorge Vilda asked him to convince his sister to record a video with Rubiales, portraying the kiss as consensual. Misa Rodríguez, Hermoso's teammate, confirmed that Jenni had confided in the team about feeling pressured and unwell after the incident.

Rubiales is on trial for sexual assault and coercion. He is accused of kissing Hermoso without her consent after Spain's victory in the 2023 Women's World Cup and then attempting to manipulate her into supporting his version of events. Vilda and two other former federation members are also on trial for coercion, all of whom deny any wrongdoing.

Hermoso maintains that she did not consent to the kiss, while Rubiales claims it was consensual. The incident sparked outrage in Spain, highlighting the prevalence of sexism in sports and beyond.

Rafael Hermoso testified that his sister was repeatedly pressured by federation members to downplay the kiss. "She came to us half-crying and told us that they were pressuring her to take a stance downplaying the kiss," he said.

Rodríguez corroborated this, stating that Hermoso felt pressured to record a video and downplay the incident. "She told us that she didn't want to do it and we supported her decision," Rodríguez said. "We told her that she should not talk to anybody anymore and should try to get some rest, because we noticed that she was not well."

Rafael Hermoso further alleged that Vilda approached him on the plane returning from Australia, asking him to convince his sister to participate in the video. Vilda reportedly expressed concern about Rubiales' daughters and the president's job security. Rafael refused, stating that he wouldn't pressure his sister into something he didn't agree with.

Hermoso was not called up to the national team immediately after the World Cup, with the new coach citing a need to protect the player. Rubiales has yet to testify and has denied all charges. He resigned under pressure and was banned by FIFA for three years, claiming he was the victim of a "witch hunt" by "false feminists."

Prosecutors, Hermoso, and the Spain players' association are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence, a €50,000 fine, and a ban from working as a sports official for Rubiales. They also request one-and-a-half-year prison sentences for the other three defendants. The trial is expected to last at least 10 days.