CASERAS, Spain — After Spain received the soccer Girls’s World Cup in August, the nation’s triumph and subsequent celebrations have been marred by the actions of Luis Rubiales, a former participant and official who was serving because the president of the Royal Spanish Soccer Federation and as a vp for the Union of European Soccer Associations (UEFA).
Rubiales kissed a Spanish participant, Jennifer Hermoso, on the lips in the course of the award ceremony, inflicting a firestorm of controversy for the weeks to return. Hermoso has been adamant the kiss wasn’t consensual. Rubiales has since resigned his place and was in courtroom earlier this week, the place a choose gave him a restraining order. The previous Spanish official can’t be inside 200 meters (656 ft) of Hermoso and the courtroom in Madrid is considering a criminal complaint for sexual assault and coercion.
So what does this need to do with golf? Spain’s Carlota Ciganda was requested in regards to the incident throughout her press convention forward of the 2023 Solheim Cup this week at Finca Cortesin and her reply drew a spherical of applause from Spanish and European media. The next quotes have been translated from Spanish to English.
“I believe it was a disgrace what occurred ultimately, when Spain received the World Cup, I believe we must always have fun the World Cup as a result of ultimately that isn’t going to occur many instances,” mentioned Ciganda. “I believe that (Rubiales) was clearly flawed, he doesn’t need to act like that, particularly in such a public occasion, when you’re in entrance of everybody.”
“Clearly after all I assist the gamers and when so many individuals agree, clearly issues have occurred that we could not know,” she continued. “However I believe the necessary factor is to have fun the World Cup, which is what everybody must be very happy with, the nation we’ve and the good athletes there are.”
Ciganda, 33, mentioned it’s “a dream come true” and “pleasure” to symbolize the European crew in her house nation as she makes her sixth Solheim Cup look this week.
“I simply love taking part in for our crew. In relation to Solheim, it jogs my memory of after I used to play with Spain, just like the European Group Championships. I believe match play, it’s lots of enjoyable as a result of you’ve got a winner on the finish of the day of the match,” mentioned Ciganda, who boasts a 7-8-4 report within the biennial occasion in opposition to the USA. “So I simply love taking part in match play, taking part in for the crew, on your teammates, for the captain. I believe that’s extra enjoyable than taking part in for your self. I do love that about this week and the ambiance that we’ve. I imply, the European crew is all the time one united crew and I really like that.”
Regardless of being the lone Spaniard on the 12-player European facet, the Pamplona native and resident doesn’t really feel any added stress to carry out this week.
“I believe greater than stress it’s simply going to be pleasure, adrenaline, and simply enjoyable. I’m going to embrace it and I believe it’s going to be nice to have all of the assist from Spain, from my household, plenty of members from my membership,” mentioned Ciganda. “So I’m simply going to attempt to go on the market and luxuriate in. I do know I’m going to really feel nervous and I’m going to really feel that adrenaline. I do know I can play nice golf with that, so I’m simply going to take pleasure in and embrace each second.”