Kriti Mehrotra
With Netflix’s ‘It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football’ living up to its title in every way concievable, we get a documentary film that is both gripping as well as touching. That’s because it delves deep into the way Spain’s national women’s team came together following their 2023 FIFA World Cup win to take a stand against what they knew was wrong. After all, their federation’s then-president Luis Rubiales had unexpectedly kissed forward Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony, only to then double down on it by stating it was consensual.
Soccer Has Been Jenni Hermoso’s Life For As Long As She Can Remember
As the proud granddaughter of former professional goalkeeper Antonio Hernández and having grown up on the streets of Madrid, Spain, Jenni has been around soccer since she was a little girl. In fact, one of her favorite childhood memories is when her grandfather used to take her to watch matches of his former team live in the stadiums, only for it to ignite her own passions. According to records, she actually grew up playing futsal as well as seven-a-side soccer on the streets of her home city before being encouraged by her loved ones to play more seriously.
That’s how Jenni ended up playing for the Atlético Madrid youth team at the age of 12, just for her to gradually hone her skills to such an extent that she became the one to watch out for. Then there was her 3-year stint at Madrid-based Rayo Vallecano from 2010 to 2013, followed by a season with Swedish football club Tyresö Fotboll sförening and later three years at FC Barcelona. This talented forward subsequently went to France for a year to play for the renowned Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, just to return to her Atlético roots in 2018 before rejoining Barcelona again.
Little did anybody know that Jenni would keep reaching new heights as time passed by, resulting in her happily signing with the Mexican Liga MX Femenil soccer club Pachuca in June 2022. However, this all-time goalscorer for Spain, as well as a 5-time Pichichi Trophy winner (the most in history for a female athlete), soon shifted gears and joined Mexico’s Tigres UANL in early 2024. The fact she did all this while also representing her nation on the international stage with the Union of European Football Associations’ EURO Championships and FIFA World Cups is also a massive deal.
Jenni Hermoso’s #SeAcabó Campaign Has Sparked Change
Although Jenni has undoubtedly been at the peak of her career for the past few years, things changed for her in a complex manner in 2023 after federation President Luis Rubiales kissed her. That’s because, according to her own accounts in the documentary film, she initially couldn’t comprehend what had transpired, and then the entire situation became weirder and weirder. The world actually zeroed in on that unsolicited kiss instead of her team’s historic win in the World Cup; all the while, Luis, as well as several other federation members, allegedly tried making light of the matter.
As per Jenni, she, a few teammates, and her loved ones were allegedly subsequently coerced, harassed, and threatened to put forth a positive act, yet they refused to do so in any manner. She claims she was even asked to issue a statement expressing that everything was okay and consensual, but she understandably couldn’t bring herself to because of how traumatic it had all become. Therefore, it was only once she realized she had the support of her entire team, former athletes, celebrities, as well as the world that she was able to release a statement condemning Luis’ behavior.
Since then, an investigation has actually resulted in Luis being charged with assault as well as coercion, with several of his former administrative employees facing the charge of coercion alone. If convicted, he faces up to 2½ years in prison while his co-defendants face 18 months, and Jenni has already even testified in the preliminary hearings to ensure a smooth flow of the proceedings. She is motivated by her own experiences, and the fact she doesn’t want anyone else to go through what she did or for aspiring female athletes to get the idea such things are a part of the job when they’re not.
Jenni Hermoso is Balancing Her Personal and Professional Experiences Today
Having become the first woman ever to receive the Sócrates Award during the Ballon d’Or ceremony in late October 2024 for leading the #SeAcabó (#It’s All Over) campaign, Jenni is truly thriving. Her personal as well as professional life actually seems to be in perfect harmony at the moment despite everything she has been through, likely owing to her unwaveringly strong support system. This includes not just her friends and family but also her fellow teammates, plus the new leadership of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), inadvertently also encouraging her to come forth about her sexuality. It was in January 2024 that this 34-year-old Madrid-based travel enthusiast athlete revealed she isn’t heterosexual – she said, “I never said openly that I like girls. It’s something that is always taboo, but it was never needed to ask, people knew.”
Read More: Ignacio Quereda: Where is the Ex-Spanish Soccer Coach Now?
