Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexual assault by Spain's Supreme Court for kissing soccer player Jenni Hermoso without consent after the 2023 World Cup final. He was fined 10,800 euros and banned from approaching Hermoso within a 200-meter radius for a year, A2 CNN reports, but he avoided prison.
Rubiales was acquitted of the coercion charge, while his three former associates – former coach Jorge Vilda, Rubén Rivera and Albert Luque – were acquitted of charges of colluding in efforts to force Hermoso to claim the kiss had been consensual.
The incident occurred on August 20, 2023, when Spain defeated England in the Women's World Cup final in Sydney. As the Spanish players were receiving their medals, Rubiales grabbed Hermosa by the head and kissed her on the lips, an act that sparked outrage and widespread protests in Spain and abroad.
In her testimony, Hermoso insisted that she had not consented to the kiss and that it had tainted one of the happiest days of her life. While Rubiales claimed that the action was “an act of affection” and “something spontaneous.”
The scandal sparked a major movement against sexism in Spanish football, with many female players demanding equal treatment with their male counterparts. After weeks of resistance and after FIFA suspended her from her post, Rubiales resigned in September 2023. (A2 Televizion)
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