Laia Codina, an Arsenal defender, has recently supported the allegations made by her Spanish teammate Jenni Hermoso against Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Laia Codina, the Arsenal defender, recently corroborated Jenni Hermoso‘s claim in court regarding the well-publicised ‘incident’ involving Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Codina supported Hermoso’s assertion that the kiss she received from Rubiales after the World Cup final was not consensual.
Jennifer Hermoso has been at the centre of an investigation concerning Rubiales. The case, which is being heard in the National Court, focuses on the kiss given to Hermoso by Rubiales.
Hermoso has stated to the Prosecutor’s Office that the kiss was non-consensual and that she faced pressure in the days following to publicly support Rubiales.
Codina was originally scheduled to testify on 16 November, but due to summons issues, her statement was delayed. She finally gave her testimony via videoconference from the Pontevedra courts, coinciding with her participation in a Nations League match against Italy in Sanxenxo with the national team.
During her more than 30-minute testimony, Codina detailed the events following the incident, including the team’s time in the locker room after receiving their medals and a subsequent trip to Ibiza.
Codina highlighted that Hermoso had confided in her teammates that the kiss was non-consensual. She also noted the apparent efforts to pressure Hermoso and others into publicly supporting Rubiales, as witnessed by several sources present during the interrogation.
Codina herself had previously spoken publicly about the incident. In an interview with Catalunya Ràdio, she discussed how the team became aware of the severity of Rubiales’s actions. She recalled a veteran player warning the team about the gravity of the situation, describing it as “an abuse of power by the boss towards a player.”
This testimony adds significant weight to Hermoso’s case.
Earlier, in October, three other national team players – Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, and Misa Rodríguez – also testified in support of Hermoso.
Putellas, who followed Hermoso in receiving the World Cup winners’ medal, and Rodríguez, who travelled with Hermoso to Ibiza, have both corroborated the non-consensual nature of the kiss.
The incident, which took place during a moment of triumph for the Spanish women’s team, has now become a focal point for discussions around consent and power dynamics in sports.
The players’ willingness to speak out, despite potential repercussions, demonstrates a growing awareness and intolerance for such behaviour in professional sports environments.
The case is also a reminder of the challenges women in sports often face, not only in their professional pursuits but also in dealing with issues related to harassment and power imbalances.
The support shown by Hermoso’s teammates, both publicly and in court, is a testament to the solidarity among players and their commitment to holding influential figures accountable for their actions.
As the legal proceedings continue, the testimonies of Codina and her teammates will play a crucial role in shaping the outcome of this high-profile case.
Their statements not only challenge the actions of a former football executive but also contribute to a broader conversation about respect, consent, and the treatment of women in sports.