Ex-Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales found guilty after kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent

The former Spanish football head was found guilty of the act

Former Royal Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of kissing player Jennifer Hermoso without her consent.

The former La Liga defender was also one of UEFA’s vice-presidents before resigning in September 2023, following the scandal with Hermoso.

Rubiales was ordered to pay a fine over €10,000 (£8,274) by Spain’s High Court, though he was acquitted of coercion.

Prosecutors demanded a prison sentence for the ex-Levante player, who made 53 appearances in the Spanish top flight.

Rubiales had already been banned from all football activities for three years from 2023 following the controversial kiss, according to FIFA.

The incident took place after Spain’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final victory over England, where they emerged 1-0 victors.

47-year-old Rubiales was congratulating Spanish players with their medals before the trophy presentation, when he kissed the 34-year-old national team top scorer without consent.

Hermoso, who now plays for Liga MX Femenil club Tigres UANL, also boasts the most Pichichi trophies in women’s football history.

She said during Rubiales’ trial in Madrid that she ‘never’ agreed to him kissing her on the lips, explaining that it ‘tainted one of the happiest days’ in her life.

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Rubiales was accused of sexual assault, and for attempting to coerce Hermoso into stating that the kiss was consensual.

He continuously denied these charges, saying that it was consensual and it took place during a ‘moment of jubilation’.

However, the Spanish striker repeatedly said the opposite, insisting that it was not consensual.

The incident proved to be a pivotal moment for Spain’s female players to point on sexism in the sport and seek equality with the male team.

Hermoso claimed that she ‘felt disrespected’ in court, adding: “I didn’t hear or understand anything,” recalling, “The next thing he did was to grab me by the ears and kiss me on the mouth.”

She said: “I knew I was being kissed by my boss and that should not happen in any social or work environment.

“I think it was a moment that tainted one of the happiest days of my life.

“All this meant I couldn’t enjoy at all being a world champion after I landed back in Madrid.”

The fallout following the scandal led to a boycott of both the men’s and women’s national teams, which sparked protests across the nation.

They demanded ‘a sport free of sexist violence’, while Rubiales said she was the target of a ‘witch hunt’ by people she described as ‘false feminists’.

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