MADRID (AP) — Jorge Vilda, the former coach of Spain women’s soccer team, told a judge on Wednesday that ex-soccer federation president Luis Rubiales did not ask him to put pressure on Jenni Hermoso following the outcry that erupted after Rubiales kissed the player.
Hermoso has already testified at Rubiales’ trial that she did not consent to being kissed by him in the presentation ceremony after Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup.
Vilda said he talked to Hermoso’s brother after the scandal broke because he was worried about the player, considering the huge media attention that was being given to the kiss.
“I decided to talk to him myself because I was seeing the importance that (the kiss) was gaining and I started worrying that it was becoming more important than what we had achieved (as a team).”
Rubiales is on trial accused of sexual assault and coercion for allegedly trying to downplay the kiss that sparked outrage in Spain and marred the celebrations of the team’s first World Cup title.
Vilda and two other former federation officials — sports director of the men’s team Albert Luque and head of marketing Ruben Rivera — are accused of coercion to try to diffuse the crisis following the kiss. They also testified on Wednesday and denied wrongdoing.
Hermoso's brother, Rafael Hermoso, had said in court that Vilda talked to him on the plane and asked him to convince the player to record a video together with Rubiales.
The brother claimed Vilda also threatened Hermoso by saying her future could be affected if she didn't agree to help. Hermoso was not called up for the national team right after the World Cup. New coach Montse Tomé said in court that the decision was not a punishment, but rather a call based on sporting decisions and to protect Hermoso from the media circus prompted by the kiss.
“I asked him if we could find a formula to normalize the situation so we could talk about what we thought was really important, which was the championship and the good performance of the national team,” Vilda said. “I didn't say anything specific about a video, only about her coming out to speak or making some kind of a statement.”
Vilda said Rubiales knew he was talking to Hermoso's brother, but said he was never asked — or saw anybody trying — to pressure the player.
Rubiales testified on Tuesday and reiterated that Hermoso gave him consent for the kiss. An expert in lip reading said he asked her if he could give her “a little kiss.”
Hermoso had said during her own testimony on the first day of the trial last week that she never consented to the kiss. She said she “felt disrespected” by Rubiales after winning the World Cup.
Vilda’s testimony was delayed for more than an hour because of technical issues in the courtroom.
Rubiales resigned under pressure three weeks after the scandal surfaced and was banned by FIFA for three years. He had said he was the victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
Prosecutors, Hermoso and the Spain players’ association want Rubiales jailed for 2 1/2 years, fined 50,000 euros ($51,800) for damages, and banned from working as a sports official. They want the other three defendants sentenced to 1 1/2 years in prison.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer
Tales Azzoni, The Associated Press
