Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez said "what we saw was an unacceptable gesture", when asked about the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), giving Spain midfielder Jennifer Hermoso an unwanted kiss on the lips.
Amid widespread criticism of the incident, including from the Association of Spanish Footballers , Sánchez answered questions from reporters on Tuesday and said that "what we saw was an unacceptable gesture".
"The apologies made by Mr. Rubiales are not enough. I even think that they are not appropriate and that, therefore, Mr. Rubiales needs to continue to take steps to clarify what we all saw," added Sánchez.Rubiales and Sánchez met earlier on Tuesday and shook hands when the Spain squad visited the Moncloa Palace – the Spanish prime minister's residence – to receive the Gold Medal of the Royal Order of Sports Merit.
Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stands with Spain's Women's World Cup soccer team after their World Cup victory, at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023 CNN has reached out to the RFEF for comment on Sánchez's remarks but did not hear back by the time of publication. Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez stands with Spain's Women's World Cup soccer team after their World Cup victory, at La Moncloa Palace in Madrid, Spain, Tuesday, Aug. 22, 2023.
Later in the Instagram live video – taken in Spain's locker room – Hermoso fields a question from another woman: "But what were you doing, sis?" The 33-year-old replies: "But what am I supposed to do?"on Cadena COPE, Hermoso spoke of the kiss on Sunday, saying "she didn't expect it" but that "it was because of the emotion of the moment, there's nothing more there. It's just going to be an anecdote [of the time].
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