“Football continues to give me life” declared Tuesday on the eve of the Nations League final, Spanish striker Jenni Hermoso, six months after being forcibly kissed by the former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales.
“I have the chance to come back and play another final after six very long months, and today I am enjoying football, being in competition with Spain to win another tournament,” said the 2023 world champion, became a symbol of the fight against sexist and sexual violence in sport following this gesture which caused a wave of global indignation.
Since her last press conference, just before the World Cup semi-final, “a lot has happened,” she recalled.
Luis Rubiales, charged with “sexual assault” and “coercion” in Spain, was suspended for three years by Fifa and banned from approaching the player.
And the world champions have obtained significant changes within their federation, notably the departure of their coach Jorge Vilda, considered close to Rubiales and structural changes.
This final against France on Wednesday (7 p.m.), synonymous for the Spanish with qualification for the Olympic tournament in Paris, is also an opportunity to win a second title in the space of a few months, to leave behind a painful episode.
“If we win tomorrow, Spain will have made history once again. This will mean that the Spanish players continue to move forward by looking to the future,” explained Jenni Hermoso.
“For me it is very important to play another final. I feel good, football continues to give me life, I want to continue to enjoy the matches with my national team and with my Tigers team, and I continue to enjoy this sport,” assured the No.10.
“The process was difficult, we had to make a lot of things understood,” she added, now believing that La Roja has the opportunity tomorrow to write history as “a team that feels like a champion in all aspects. meaning of the term.