Former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales continued to insist his kiss on Jenni Hermoso’s lips after the Women’s World Cup last was “a mutual act”, in an interview broadcast Tuesday within the United Kingdom. World Cup-winning Spain midfielder Hermoso, 33, says the kiss was not consensual and a Spanish choose has summoned Rubiales to seem in courtroom on Friday in a sexual assault investigation. Rubiales, who stood down from his submit on Sunday, three weeks after the incident in the course of the last medal ceremony following Spain’s Sydney triumph, maintains his model is the “truth”.

“What we had is a spontaneous act, a mutual act, an act that both consented to, which was driven by the emotion of the moment, the happiness, so I maintain that that is the truth of what happened,” Rubiales informed TalkTV present Piers Morgan Uncensored.

The 46-year-old described the kiss as “non-sexual”, having beforehand in contrast his behaviour to how he would act together with his daughters.

“My intentions were noble, enthusiastic, 100 percent non-sexual, 100 percent, I repeat, 100 percent,” mentioned Rubiales.

The former federation chief, who was provisionally suspended by FIFA earlier than he resigned, mentioned the kiss occurred in a second of jubilation.

“You can imagine if you win the lottery or hopefully soon one day the war in the Ukraine finishes, I mean celebrations will go on up and down the globe,” mentioned Rubiales.

“People don’t ask permissions, it’s just a happy, happy time and people celebrate.”

However, Rubiales reiterated that he had requested permission for the kiss, which he described as “a peck”, and accepted that as president of the federation, the act was flawed.

“Of course, I have said it from the beginning, I made a mistake, and I apologised in a sincere manner,” he mentioned.

“A president can give a hug, but needs to act in a more diplomatic and colder way.”

Rubiales confronted unprecedented criticism after the kiss and his preliminary refusal to resign.

Over 80 girls’s gamers went on strike from the nationwide workforce and controversial coach Jorge Vilda was sacked.

The former chief mentioned Sunday he was now stepping down to assist Spain’s 2030 males’s World Cup bid, in addition to his household who had come below strain following his actions.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV employees and is revealed from a syndicated feed.)