Sarah Harte: Will this be the kiss of death for sexism on and off the football pitch?

Player Jenni Hermoso being kissed by Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales.

LAST Sunday morning, watching Luis Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, kiss Spanish midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the post-match FIFA Women’s World Cup celebrations, I blinked and concluded they must be in a relationship. But, no. The kiss sparked outrage, as it should have.

Hermoso, soon afterwards, said on a live stream on Instagram, “Hey, I didn’t like it, eh,” adding, “But what can I do?” Later, she downplayed the incident in a statement sent to Agence France-Presse by the Spanish football federation.