Hermoso opened the Spanish TV show Planeta Calleja by saying he had felt it was “always taboo” to talk about being gay.
Jeni Hermoso, who helped Spain win the Women’s World Cup for the first time last year, said in a TV interview that she was sure “people knew” that she liked girls, even if the topic was taboo. He said he is doing so.
The 33-year-old, who has won more than 100 caps for her country, was at the center of controversy in women’s sports after she was forcibly kissed on the lips by Luis Rubiales, president of the Spanish Football Federation, during a medal ceremony at the Olympics. It sparked a “Me Too” movement both in wider society. World Cup final held in Sydney.
Hermoso, who currently plays club soccer for Mexican club Tigres, was the latest guest on the TV travel show Planet Calleja, joining host Jesús Calleja in Iceland for an interview about his career.
When asked by Calleja about his dating life, Hermoso explained that he is not currently in a relationship.
“I’ve been in love before, but not now,” she says. “This is one of the best things I’ve discovered: a way to live with myself.”
Hermoso has had romantic relationships with former team-mates in the past, including during their time at Barcelona, where they won five domestic league titles in two separate competitions, as well as the 2021 UEFA Women’s Champions Championship. We also won the league.
She ultimately left Barça in June 2022, moving to Mexico to sign with Pachuca, hinting at complications in her past relationships.
“I mixed my personal life with football. If something happened in my personal life, it would be a disaster on the pitch,” she says.
“It can be intense, especially when my heart is broken. Fortunately I feel stable now.”
Hermoso was born and raised in Madrid and made his senior debut for Atlético at the age of 14. He then moved to another club in the Spanish capital, Rayo Vallecano, and made his national team debut in 2012 at the age of 22.
She said conversations about sexuality were avoided when she was growing up, and suggested that is still the case in Spain.
“I’ve never said openly that I like girls. It’s always been taboo, but I’ve never had to discuss it. People knew.
“My parents weren’t stupid either. I’ve always been open with my mother, but when that wasn’t possible, I turned to my aunt Carol, who was my best friend.”
At the World Cup, Spain’s national team had four players: Alba Redondo, Irene Paredes, Ivana Andres, and Teresa Abeyreira, who publicly came out and talked about their sexuality at the start of the tournament. He was speaking in the media and being open on social media.
Since the tournament, Esther Gonzalez, who scored the winning goal in New Jersey/New York Gotham FC’s victory in the NWSL Championship Game in November, has also shared a photo on Instagram with girlfriend Estefania Cruz. There is.
However, no elite-level male player in Spain has come out publicly.
Referee Jesús Tomillero came out as gay in 2015, but has since stepped down as a referee, while goalkeeper Alberto Rejaraga of Marbella FC, who plays in the fourth division of Segunda B, has been dating his girlfriend in recent months. She confirmed that she is dating Ruben Fernandez. .
Hermoso recognizes the challenges that gay and bisexual men still face.
“It’s much easier to come out in women’s soccer than in men’s soccer,” she says. She said, “There is a stereotypical image of soccer players as having wives and children.
“There are some male soccer players who have come out and they have been met with a lot of hate.
“Male soccer players don’t want to talk about it because they’re treated differently.”
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