Spain’s former football chief Luis Rubiales penalized for World Cup kiss
Luis Rubiales, the former head of Spain’s football federation, has been convicted of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her permission and has been fined €10,800 (£8,942), according to a ruling by Spain’s High Court.
He was cleared of coercion charges for supposedly attempting to force Hermoso to declare publicly that the kiss was consensual.
While Spain’s players were awarded their medals following their victory over England in Sydney to clinch the 2023 World Cup, Rubiales took Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips.
The event sparked demonstrations and demands for Rubiales’ resignation, who stated he would challenge the ruling.
The court stated in a release that the ruling also prohibited Rubiales from approaching Hermoso within 200m and from contacting her for one year.
Three of Rubiales’s ex-colleagues who were tried alongside him, accused of participating in the supposed coercion – Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup champions, Rubén Rivera, the former head of marketing at the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF), and Albert Luque, the previous sporting director – were found not guilty of the allegations.
Prosecutors sought a prison term for Rubiales, who stated in court last week that he was “completely confident” Hermoso had consented before he kissed her.
He referred to the kiss as a “gesture of love,” stating that at that time it was “entirely impulsive.”
In her statement earlier this month, Hermoso emphasized that she did not grant Rubiales authorization and that the event had “tainted one of the most joyful days of my life.”
She informed the court in Madrid: “My supervisor was kissing me, and this should not occur in any social or professional environment.”
“A kiss on the lips is granted only when I choose,” she stated then.
Rubiales faced allegations of sexual assault and attempting to persuade Hermoso to claim that the kiss was consensual.
The event was observed by millions of TV viewers and an entire stadium following the Spanish women’s team’s victory in the 2023 World Cup.
The resulting outcry propelled a “Me Too”-like movement in women’s football in Spain, where athletes aimed to fight against sexism and attain equality with their male counterparts.
Rubiales stepped down in September 2023 after weeks of facing pressure to resign, following his suspension by Fifa and the initiation of an investigation by Spanish prosecutors.
