THE boss of Spain’s winning World Cup women’s team is being investigated and has been summoned to court for questioning.
Coach Jorge Vilda was sacked in the wake of Luis Rubiales’ now infamous kiss with striker Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony.
Vilda, 42, who was coach and director of women’s football, guided Spain to their first Women’s World Cup triumph last month, beating England in the final, but was dismissed by the Spanish FA amid the fallout.
In a fresh twist to the ongoing so-called kissgate scandal, he has been told he is being probed on suspicion of a crime of coercion.
Former footballer Albert Luque, director of Spain’s men’s football team, has also been told he is now under investigation as a suspect – an “investigado” in Spanish.
He has been ordered to appear in court in that capacity as well as Spanish FA marketing director Ruben Rivera.
The dramatic turn of events comes after Jenni’s brother Rafael and a friend of the footballer’s gave evidence at the Audiencia Nacional court in Madrid which is probing former Spanish FA president Rubiales’ kiss and claimed it was “unconsensual”.
Up until now 46-year-old dad-of-three Rubiales was the only person being formally investigated on suspicion of wrongdoing.
He has been accused of sexual aggression as well as coercion linked to his alleged attempts to get Jenni, 33, to come out publicly and say she had agreed to the infamous kiss after it went viral.
Confirming the new summons, Audiencia Nacional sources said: “Judge Francisco de Jorge has summoned the former team manager Jorge Vilda and the directors of the men’s team Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera.
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“They will be questioned on October 10 as people who are under formal investigation as part of the probe into the kiss Luis Rubiales gave Jennifer Hermoso at the end of the Women’s World Cup.
“With regards to the last two individuals, the judge has changed their judicial status from witnesses to people under investigation or ‘investigados’.”
Rubiales, who denies any wrongdoing, was the first person to testify.
He gave his evidence on September 15.
The judge who questioned him behind-closed-doors served him with a restraining order preventing him from going within 200 metres of the female footballer or contacting her while he continues his investigation.
Hermoso paved the way for Rubiales’ prosecution before his court appearance by making a formal complaint in which she accused him of kissing her without consent after the World Cup final against England in Sydney finished.
She described it as a sexist act which left her feeling vulnerable.
As well as insisting it was consensual the former Spanish FA chief has described the August 20 kiss as a peck on the cheek.
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Defiant Rubiales promised to “defend his innocence” after announcing on September 10 he was quitting as Spanish FA president following the scandal.
He tweeted as his decision to resign was made public: “I will defend my honourability. I will defend my innocence.
“I have faith in the future. I have faith in the truth. Thanks to everybody.”
He finished his tweet by posting a photo of the Spanish flag.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
