(Madrid) The coach of the men’s football team, Luis de la Fuente, was summoned as a witness before the judge who is investigating the forced kiss of the former president of the Spanish federation Luis Rubiales on the player Jenni Hermoso, the court announced on Friday.
The magistrate of the Madrid National Court summoned de la Fuente on October 20, alongside the communications director of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), also heard as a witness, the court said in a press release.
The judge also summoned on October 27 the former chief of staff of Luis Rubiales, the psychologist of the women’s selection and the head of legal compliance of the Federation, added the court.
Next Monday, double Ballon d’Or Alexia Putellas and two other world champions, Irene Paredes and Misa Rodríguez, will be heard as witnesses.
Luis Rubiales, who resigned from his post on September 10, was charged in this case with “sexual assault,” but also “coercion,” due to the alleged pressure exerted on Jenni Hermoso and her entourage.
The investigating magistrate also indicted the former coach of the women’s “Roja”, Jorge Vilda, the marketing manager of the Federation, Rubén Rivera, and the director of the men’s selection, Albert Luque. The first two are summoned on October 10 and the third on October 16.
The ex-Spanish football boss, who always claimed that this kiss was consensual, was questioned on September 15 and has since been banned by the judge from coming within 200 m of the player.
On August 20, after the world title of “Roja” in Sydney, Luis Rubiales surprised Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth. A gesture which caused international indignation and its provisional suspension by FIFA.
