Spanish Star Jenni Hermoso Finds Support and Inspires as She Returns to Mexican Club
Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso has made a return to Mexican club Pachuca, but her participation in Sunday's match remains uncertain Following an uncomfortable incident where Spanish FA chief Luis Rubiales kissed her after Spain's WWC final win, Hermoso has filed a legal complaint Meanwhile, Liga F players are standing firm in their decision to strike
Jenni Hermoso has come back to Mexico to resume playing with her club team, who have promised to support her in finding a sense of normalcy after she was unwantedly kissed by the president of the Spanish FA after the Women's World Cup final. Hermoso, a player for Pachuca in the Mexican league, arrived in Mexico City from Madrid at daybreak and proceeded to Pachuca, approximately 90 kilometers to the southwest, to rejoin her club. Since the final, she has opted not to speak directly to the media and will continue this approach in Mexico, at least for the time being.
Unknown whether Hermoso will feature for Pachuca on Sunday
The club has stated that, currently, our player will not make any public appearances. This decision has been made in order to allow her to fully concentrate on resuming her activities and getting back to her regular routine. We kindly request your understanding and respect for her privacy during this time.
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Jenni Hermoso of Spain observed a Group C match at the Women's World Cup the previous month. Pachuca is scheduled to compete against Pumas on Sunday for the 10th round of the Apertura tournament, but it is uncertain if Hermoso will participate.
The statement mentioned that Jenni Hermoso is receiving full support from the Pachuca soccer club, both institutionally and emotionally, to carry out her activities with the Tuzas in the best possible manner. Additionally, the women's Liga MX, including various teams in the league, extended their welcome to the world champion on social media.
The Tuzas currently hold the 10th position out of 18 teams in the first division, following nine rounds.
Having enjoyed a prolific career in Europe, representing Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, Hermoso made the move to Pachuca last summer. Throughout the season, she impressively netted 18 goals in 20 games and played a crucial role in guiding her team to the final, unfortunately falling short against club America earlier this year.
Hermoso files legal complaint over Rubiales kiss
Hermoso has lodged an official complaint with the prosecutor's office regarding the kiss from Rubiales, who is currently suspended as the chief of the Spanish FA.The 33-year-old provided her statement on Tuesday, and the prosecutor stated that the complaint will be handled "as promptly as possible".
After the complaint, Rubiales could potentially be charged with a crime. This is on top of the ongoing investigation by Spain's top sport court for "serious misconduct" and the inquiry conducted by FIFA, which has temporarily banned him. Rubiales kissed Hermoso during the awards ceremony following Spain's 1-0 victory over England in Sydney on August 20th.
Hermoso stated that she rejected the kiss, expressing feeling "vulnerable and as a victim of aggression." Additionally, she claimed that the federation coerced her and her family to support Rubiales following the incident. Despite facing considerable pressure, Rubiales has, thus far, resisted resigning, maintaining that the kiss was "spontaneous, mutual, euphoric, and consensual."
Spain's government, players' unions, players, and numerous citizens have publicly rallied behind Hermoso, yet Rubiales persists in his refusal to step down. Following his defiant address to the general assembly of his federation, in which he denounced being targeted by "false feminists," Rubiales was sanctioned by FIFA on August 27.
Regional FA leaders expressed their demand for the removal of Rubiales, prompting Pedro Rocha, the federation's interim president, to apologize this week for the significant harm caused by his predecessor's actions. Rocha also pledged to initiate an organizational overhaul. This restructuring is currently underway, as Jorge Vilda, the women's team coach who drew controversy for showing support towards Rubiales during his refusal to step down, was dismissed on Tuesday. He has been replaced by Montse Tome, Vilda's former assistant.
Liga F players maintain they will strike
On the other hand, the female league players from Spain have asserted that they will not commence the upcoming season until a resolution is reached following unsuccessful salary discussions with the league on Thursday.
The AFE players' union, one of the five unions representing the players, stated that they had not reached an agreement as they found the economic proposal from Liga F to be unacceptable. The players had previously declared their intention to go on strike, despite the season being scheduled to commence on Friday.
Spain is currently grappling with the aftermath of an incident involving the president of its national soccer federation, who kissed a player without her consent following the Women's World Cup final. As a result, numerous players from Spain's women's national team and many others have declared that they will not participate for their country until there is a change in leadership within the federation.
The minimum salary for Liga F, the women's league, is currently set at just 16,000 euros (£13,720), whereas male players in La Liga receive a guaranteed salary of 182,000 euros (£156,082).
The unions are advocating for an increase in the minimum salary to 23,000 euros per year (£19,724), with the potential for it to reach 25,000 euros (£21,439) if the league surpasses 8 million euros (£6,860,760m) in revenues.
The players rejected the league's best offer of 20,000 euros (£17,151), which could have increased to 23,000 (£19,724) if revenues exceeded 8m euros. As a result, the strike will affect the first two rounds of play, including the scheduled league opener between Sevilla and Tenerife on Friday.
