Spain's former coach Jorge Vilda says he sought to downplay Rubiales kiss

MADRID (Reuters) - Former Spain women's soccer coach Jorge Vilda told a court on Wednesday that he attempted to persuade player Jenni Hermoso to downplay the kiss on the mouth his boss Luis Rubiales gave her at the 2023 World Cup but denied he had tried to strong-arm her.

Vilda, who is on trial on charges of attempting to coerce Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual, said he spoke to her brother Rafael on the flight back to Spain from Sydney following Spain's victory over England in the final. He said he was worried the kiss was gathering a lot of media attention.

He told the court in Madrid that speaking to Rafael Hermoso to ask him if he could persuade his sister to make a statement was his own idea and was not proposed by Rubiales.

"I went to talk to her brother because I was worried at the time, to try to normalise the situation, thinking about the future...and my team," Vilda said. "I didn't specify whether it should be a video but (that she) to go out and talk and make some sort of comment."

Vilda, who denies the charges, was sacked 10 days after FIFA suspended Rubiales over the scandal.

The kiss Rubiales gave Hermoso was witnessed by millions of television viewers and an entire stadium after the Spanish women's team won the 2023 World Cup.

The ensuing uproar gave momentum to the “Me Too” movement in the Spanish women's game in which players sought to combat sexism and achieve parity with their male peers.

Rubiales, who took the stand on Tuesday, denies charges of sexual assault and coercion, insisting the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso said it was not.

The other two former soccer federation workers accused of coercion, Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera, also denied wrongdoing on Wednesday.

Prosecutor Marta Durantez, who is seeking 2-1/2 years' prison for Rubiales, said in her closing arguments that Hermoso was just one player pitted against the entire soccer federation and an all-powerful president.

The trial is in its final phase and a verdict is expected in the coming weeks.

(Reporting by Emma Pinedo; editing by Charlie Devereux and Angus MacSwan)