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Luis Rubiales \u201cinappropriately touched\u201d England players on the same podium that he allegedly sexually assaulted Jenni Hermoso after the Women\u2019s World Cup final, according to the chair of England\u2019s Football Association.<\/p>\n
Rubiales, the disgraced former president of Spain\u2019s FA (the RFEF), responded by calling Debbie Hewitt a \u201chypocrite\u201d and accused her of doing her position as FA chair a \u201cdisservice\u201d. The claims have been revealed among new documents released by the world governing body FIFA to support their disciplinary panel\u2019s decision to ban Rubiales from any involvement in soccer for three years.<\/p>\n
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Luis Rubiales kisses Jenni Hermoso on the podium after the World Cup final.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty<\/cite><\/p>\n Hewitt was asked to testify as a witness in the FIFA disciplinary committee\u2019s case against Rubiales, together with the president of New Zealand\u2019s FA, with both having been standing nearby to the Spaniard during the medal ceremony after the final in Sydney on August 20. Hewitt stood directly next to Rubiales on the podium.<\/p>\n In her statement submitted to FIFA\u2019s panel, Hewitt branded Rubiales\u2019 tone of voice towards match stewards and Fifa staff as \u201cunpleasant and unnecessarily aggressive\u201d, before going on to detail two specific accusations about Rubiales\u2019 actions towards England players Lucy Bronze and Laura Coombs.<\/p>\n Hewitt says that Rubiales \u201ccupped and stroked\u201d Coombs\u2019s face and then \u201che seemingly forcefully kissed Lucy Bronze on her face\u201d.<\/p>\n Then, in reference to when the Spain team walked up to collect their medals, Hewitt described Rubiales \u201cholding them very tightly. He rubbed some on their back, tapped one on her bottom, grabbed some by their arm, lifted several off their feet and one was hoisted twice\u201d. Hewitt says witnessing this made her \u201cdeeply uncomfortable and embarrassed\u201d.<\/p>\n Lucy Bronze (left) in action in the final.<\/span>Credit: <\/span>Getty Images<\/cite><\/p>\n She also added that there was \u201cno evidence to suggest this kiss was consensual\u201d, when recalling Rubiales kissing Hermoso on the lips. Hermoso has told a Spanish Court case that the kiss was not consensual. Rubiales has told the court he denies sexually assaulting the former Barcelona forward.<\/p>\n In his written response \u2013 also published by FIFA on Wednesday \u2013 to Hewitt\u2019s witness statement, Rubiales describes Hewitt\u2019s words as \u201castonishing\u201d, saying he read her words with \u201cdismay\u201d, and accuses her of being prejudiced against him.<\/p>\n He then accuses her of \u201chypocrisy\u201d on the basis that he says she hugged several players herself, with Rubiales adding: \u201cApplying the same logic she [Hewitt] used, that [hugging] could be understood as a forceful non-consensual physical contact. The hypocrisy is blatant\u201d.<\/p>\n Rubiales goes on to claim that he had merely tried to comfort Coombs because she had been injured during the final, had received stitches and was wearing a bandage on her head.<\/p>\n Coombs did not play for England in the final, having been an unused substitute.<\/p>\n Bronze has previously condemned Rubiales\u2019 behaviour at the final in Sydney when asked about his alleged conduct towards Hermoso, but Bronze is not believed to have so far commented on any suggestion that Rubiales kissed her on the lips too.<\/p>\n FIFA\u2019s disciplinary committee concluded regarding the testimony from Hewitt and her counterpart from New Zealand\u2019s FA, that it was \u201chard to believe\u201d they would have lied, and that the panel \u201chad no reason to question or doubt about their objectivity considering that (i) they had no (personal) interest in the case at hand and its outcome, and (ii) they were both present on stage.<\/p>\n \u201cPut differently, the committee considered that those statements could be considered as a description of the incident by reasonable and objective observers.\u201d<\/p>\n Rubiales resigned from his position as RFEF president in September, after initially refusing to do so in the aftermath of the final.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n