Spain’s Soccer President Criticized After Grabbing His Crotch, Kissing Player Post-World Cup: ‘Unacceptable’

Luis Rubiales has since apologized for behavior others called "deeply lamentable" and "sexual violence"

Luis Rubiales, the president of Spain’s soccer federation, was criticized Sunday for his “inappropriate” behavior after the women’s national team won the World Cup this weekend.

Rubiales, 45, kissed veteran player Jenni Hermoso on the lips as the team celebrated its first-ever World Cup win. In other videos, Rubiales was also seen kissing several other players on the face during their celebration and he was also seen grabbing his crotch in the crowd after the team’s win.

In the locker room afterwards, Hermoso, 33, was seen in an Instagram video shouting to other players “I didn’t like it,” according to The Associated Press and BBC.

The Spanish football federation later released a statement on behalf of Hermoso calling the kiss “a totally spontaneous mutual gesture” that happened while celebrating the World Cup.

"It was the emotion of the moment," Hermoso then told Cadena COPE in an interview. "There's nothing else there. It's no big deal."

Others didn’t see Rubiales’ actions that way, however, including the international players’ union and the country’s equality minister.

“It is a form of sexual violence that women suffer on a daily basis, and which has been invisible so far, and which we should not normalize,” Irene Montero, the government’s equality minister, posted to X (formerly known as Twitter).

Montero added: “Consent in the center. Only yes is yes.”

Rubiales himself initially appeared to dismiss these concerns on a radio show, before filming an apology video.

"There’s also an event which I have to regret ... What happened happened, I think in a very spontaneous way. I repeat: with no bad faith from either of the two parties," he said in part, according to The Athletic. "Of course, if there are people who felt hurt by this, I need to apologize — there’s no alternative."

Related: Soccer Star Olga Carmona Learned Her Father Had Died After She Scored Winning World Cup Goal for Spain

“It is deeply lamentable that such a special moment for the players of the Spain national team that was taking place before a global television audience should be stained by the inappropriate conduct of an individual in a role carrying so much responsibility,” FIFPRO, the world players’ union, said in a statement.

“Uninitiated and uninvited physical gestures towards players are not appropriate or acceptable in any context,” the statement continued, according to the AP. “This is especially true when players are put in a position of vulnerability because a physical approach or gesture is initiated by a person who holds power over them.”

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Rubiales was also slammed on social media for a video showing him grabbing his crotch in celebration of the team’s win, just a couple seats away from Spain’s Queen Latizia and Princess Infanta Sofía, who is 16.

Spain won its first ever Women’s World Cup tournament this weekend with a 1-0 win over England.

For more People news, make sure to sign up for our newsletter!

Read the original article on People.