Controversial Kiss in Women's World Cup Final; Spanish Prime Minister: Apology is Not Enough

Pedro Sanchez, the Prime Minister of Spain, criticized the head of the country's football federation on Tuesday, August 22, for kissing one of the players of the Spanish women's national football team, stating that his public apology is not sufficient. According to Reuters, Luis Rubiales unexpectedly kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips while awarding gold medals to the Spanish players after Spain's victory over England and winning the Women's World Cup title last Sunday. This kiss has faced significant backlash, and despite the Spanish football federation president's apology, many are calling for his resignation. Pedro Sanchez stated in a press conference, 'We saw his apology, but it is not enough; he needs to be much clearer and more convincing in his apology. He must take further actions to clarify behavior that is unacceptable.' The Prime Minister reminded that the football federation is not part of the Spanish government, and he has no authority to change or dismiss Luis Rubiales. Reports and images circulating on social media indicate that Jenni Hermoso told her teammates in the locker room after the kiss that she 'did not like it.' However, she later downplayed the incident in a statement released through the Spanish football federation. As criticism grew, Rubiales, who initially called his critics 'fools,' released a video apology on Monday. In this video message, he stated that he 'certainly' made a mistake and claimed that there was no 'malice' involved, and everything happened in the moment. The Spanish women's national football team faced various controversies even before the World Cup, co-hosted by Australia and New Zealand, with several players strongly criticizing the performance of the country's football federation. Nevertheless, Spain, being one of the best teams of this tournament, reached the final and became the Women's World Cup champion for the first time. In recent years, gender issues in Spain have become a hot topic. The coalition government of Spain, led by the Socialists, has proposed a series of legal reforms on issues such as equal pay, abortion, sex workers, and transgender rights. However, some shortcomings in the law regarding sexual consent have led to the early release of several offenders from prison, causing outrage among many Spanish citizens.