A BBC News “production error” saw the channel use footage of Manchester City legend Pablo Zabaleta rather than Spanish FA President Luis Rubiales when covering his controversial World Cup kiss.
Rubiales has been suspended by all football activity by FIFA after he kissed Spain striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips following the team’s victory at the Women’s World Cup.
The FA President refused to resign from his role last week and insists that his kiss with Hermoso was “consensual”.
Hermoso denies this and said in an Instagram post last week that she had felt: “vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out of place act without any consent on my part”.
When discussing the incident yesterday, BBC News reporter Lewis Vaughan Jones spoke of how the Spain Football Federation (RFEF) had called an urgent meeting to discuss the future of Rubiales.
With Vaughn Jones talking through the situation, footage of the kiss between Rubiales and Hermoso was shown before cutting to footage of Zabaleta at the Qatar 2022 World Cup.
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Fans on social media were baffled by the mistake with one writing: “Oh no! Zaba is such a wholesome person.”
Another commented: “Lol they might as well have put [actor] Mark Strong in the clip.”
A third wrote: “Poor Zabaleta lmao.”
A BBC spokesperson said: “A production error meant we showed the wrong image in an earlier broadcast. This has now been rectified.”
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The TV error comes amid the latest twist in the Rubiales saga – which has seen his mother, Angeles Bejar, lock herself in a church and begin a hunger strike until her son’s name is cleared.
The retired hairdresser is carrying out her protest at the Divina Pastora Church in the Andalucia coastal resort of Motril east of Malaga where the suspended Spanish FA president grew up.
She says she will continue her strike until father-of-three son Luis receives “justice” and Hermoso “tells the truth”.
She told Spanish press: “They’re doing to my son something he doesn’t deserve.”
Repeating the version of events outlined by her son in his public defence of his actions, she added: “There’s no sexual aggression because there was consent by both parties.
“My son is incapable of harming anyone. As a mother I ask everyone for their understanding as this is a situation that could affect anyone.”
Spanish prosecutors have now opened an investigation into whether Rubiales sexually assaulted Hermoso.
A statement from Spain’s highest court said: “Prosecutors from the National Court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault.”
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They will also contact Hermoso to offer her a chance to file a suit within 15 days.
The team’s playing squad is now in open revolt against the RFEF, with Hermoso one of 81 players now refusing to play for Spain’s national team until “the federation leadership is removed”.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
