Three high-profile Spanish women footballers Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Misa Rodriguez gave their evidence supporting Jennifer Hermoso in the criminal case after the infamous World Cup final kiss.

‌Luis Rubiales, former head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), is on trial for sexual assault, and for coercion, along with a number of other ex federation employees. 

‌Misa Rodriguez, the Real Madrid goalkeeper, made her statement at the Spanish National Court in Madrid, while Alexia Putellas and Irene Paredes - both FC Barcelona players - did so via videolink from a Barcelona courtroom. 

‌While this was not an open hearing, court sources say they spoke about the hours leading up to the controversial kiss and the incident itself. 

READ MORE

Will Slovakia's new coalition government support Ukraine?

12 times less pay: Women's football fights for equality

Germany welcomes China's support for G20 debt

‌Putellas and Rodriguez also traveled to Ibiza to celebrate their victory - Spain's first ever women's World Cup title - where a number of RFEF employees also arrived to pressure her to defend Rubiales and to support his statement.

‌They gave their version of those events in court and the case is now centered on a charge of sexual assault for the kiss, and charges of coercion against a number of Rubiales's subordinates.

‌The players' testimony singled out Jorge Vilda, the now ex-coach of the women's national team, Ruben Rivera, the RFEF Marketing Director, and the men's national team director Albert Luque, who are now all under investigation for coercion. They will testify later this month. 

‌Last week, Hermoso's brother and a friend gave statements insisting that the player and her family were put under pressure by the federation and Rubiales's subordinates after the kiss, in a bid to influence Hermoso's version of what happened. 

More testimonies to follow

‌On October 10, Vilda and Rivera will testify, meanwhile Luque will give his version of what happened on October 16. Later that week, further witnesses Luis de la Fuente, men's national team head coach, Pablo Garcia Cuervo, Director of Communication of the RFEF, and Assistant Director of Communications Enrique Yunta, will make their statements.

‌And a week later, the women's national team psychologist Javier Lopez Vallejo, the ex Director of the Cabinet of Rubiales, Jose Maria Timon, and the Head of Compliance Javier Pujol, will all give their accounts of what happened.

‌A date has not yet been set for Jenni Hermoso to give her testimony as she is currently playing for her football club in Mexico. Court sources say the magistrate has expressly asked for her to testify in person, which is complicated due to the distance.

‌Hermoso plays for Pachuca, currently ranked number seven in Mexico's top league Liga MX. The club is scheduled to play until November 4, however, a top-eight finish will take it to a playoff tournament, the final of which will be on November 27 - so Hermoso's testimony could be delayed until after then.

Rubiales v Spanish footballers

‌Rubiales has already presented his case. He answered the judge's questions and other court prosecutors for around 45 minutes last month.‌ According to court sources, he maintained that it was a consensual kiss and that neither he nor anyone in his circle had engaged in any acts of coercion. Rubiales also presented video evidence and a video of the kiss with a professional lip reader's translation. 

Rubiales was reminded of the restraining order that prohibits him from contacting Hermoso and being within 200 meters of her. ‌However, the latest witness statements from the three players allege coercion, contradicting Rubiales's statement. 

‌The footballers' statements also align with the Head of the media team Patricia Perez's testimony. 

‌She stated that in one of the meetings that lasted over three hours, Rubiales tried to pressure her into ratifying his version of events and rejecting those of Hermoso publicly. 

‌According to Perez, other high-ranking RFEF officials were present at that meeting, as was Rubiales's father, the former socialist party politician Luis Manuel Rubiales who does not have any official role in the Spanish football. 

‌Witness statements are still being gathered and this will not be a quick process. As this case is still in the evidence gathering phase, it's very difficult to put down a timeline. 

‌Judge Francisco de Jorge and his team are also gathering all the video of that night in Sydney - from before, during and after the incident.

‌A number of mobile phones have also been handed over to examine evidence but it will be months until a verdict is given.

Subscribe to Storyboard: A weekly newsletter bringing you the best of CGTN every Friday