World champion Hermoso talks about death threats
In her first interview since the kissing affair, soccer world champion Jenni Hermoso has described her resistance to the trivialization of the assault by Spain's then head of the association Luis Rubiales as an effort to improve social conditions. "I want to be remembered as a person who took Spain to the top, but above all as a person who tried to change the mentality," the 33-year-old told the Spanish edition of GQ after being named "Spain's Woman of the Year" by the magazine.
On the way to achieving her goal, Hermoso has high hopes for the "#SeAcabo (It's over)" foundation set up to support her. "I hope that it will usher in a new era for women's sport. If I have to do my bit to change things, I won't hesitate," explained the Mexico international.
Hermoso: "It hurt a lot to have to tell it over and over again"
Hermoso's forced Rubiales kiss on her mouth at the award ceremony for Spain's title win at the Women's World Cup in Australia brought her into the global spotlight. Despite international outrage in the weeks that followed, the self-righteous official was unrepentant and only resigned after being suspended by FIFA. In the meantime, Hermoso also accused Rubiales of sexual assault. The scandal also led to structural changes at the association under pressure from most of the world champions. In sporting terms, Hermoso celebrated her comeback in Spain's team at the end of last month. For her own protection, the attacking player had not yet been officially nominated for the Iberians' first international matches after their World Cup triumph.
78 days after the momentous scandal, Hermoso confirmed in GQ that she needed psychological support to overcome the "difficult phase" of the past few weeks. "I will never be able to get used to the idea that I even received death threats. I had to deal with the consequences of an act that I didn't provoke and that I didn't choose."
The encouragement from many sides, whether from teammates or opponents, helped Hermoso, who had recently made a dream comeback in Spain's national team. However, it "hurt a lot to have to tell it over and over again", she said, adding that she is still seeking psychological help. She is critical of the fact that only a few male colleagues showed solidarity. "When you see unjust situations, you have to be on one side or the other," said Hermoso: "Your support, I don't know if it would have made everything easier, but it would certainly have helped us a lot."
Source: www.ntv.de
