Woody Allen defends Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales over his World Cup kiss
Woody Allen has thrown his voice behind Luis Rubiales in the wake of his controversial kiss at the World Cup.
The Spanish FA president has attracted headlines all over the world after he planted his lips on Jenni Hermoso's while giving out the winners medals.
There have been calls for him to step down from his role as a result of the incident, however he has defiantly said he's not going anywhere.
Very few people have publicly supported Rubiales since Spain's World Cup final win over England.
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However, director Woody Allen has poked his head into the chat and said while it wasn't appropriate, it wasn't as bad as everyone is making it out to be.
"The kiss on the soccer player was wrong, but it did not burn down a school. He has the duty to apologise and go ahead... They didn't hide, nor did he kiss her in a dark alley," he said to Spanish outlet El Mundo.
"He wasn't raping her, it was just a kiss and she was a friend.
"What's wrong with that?
"In any case, it is difficult to understand that a person can lose their job and be penalised in that way for kissing someone."
Rubiales has been suspended from his post for 90 days while a disciplinary investigation can be conducted.
He's even gone as far as saying it was Jenni Hermoso's fault.
The controversial FA chief said she was the one who lifted him up during the presentation and branded her a 'liar'.
"Jenni was the one who lifted me up," he said.
"I told her to 'forget about the penalty' and I said to her 'a little peck?' and she said 'OK'."
However, new footage then showed it is seen that Rubiales was the one who lifted his feet off the ground and jumped into the player’s arms.
He denies the ‘aggression’ towards Hermoso and has asked for a ‘fair trial in the name of feminism’.
His lengthy statement issued last week saw him admit to ‘some obvious mistakes’, asking for forgiveness with ‘humility’ in the hopes of ‘improving’.
“I have learned that no matter how great the joy is and deep the emotion, including a World Cup win, sports leaders should be required to exhibit exemplary behavior, and mine was not,” he wrote.
“Therefore, I reiterate, once again, my apologies for this to the footballers, the federation and other football entities in a clear, emphatic and unmitigated manner. Also to football fans and to all those who may have been offended by my actions.”
But Rubiales said he could continue to ‘defend’ himself based on his version of events.
“The spontaneity and happiness of the historic moment led us to carry out a mutual and consented act, the product of great enthusiasm,” he continued.
Topics: World Cup
Stewart Perrie