Spain’s ex-football boss Luis Rubiales fined for World Cup kiss

Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Football Association in Spain, was condemned by sexual assault by kissing Jenny Hermoso without her consent and ordered a fine of 10,800 euros (8942 pounds), and the Supreme Court in Spain ruled.

He was acquitted of coercion, because he is trying to pressure Hermoso to say publicly that the kiss was mutual consent.

When Spanish players received their medals after defeating England in Sydney to win the 2023 World Cup, Rubiales Hermoso caught the head and kissed them on the lips.

The accident sparked protests and called for the resignation of Rubiales.

The court said in a statement that the ruling prevented Rubiales from going within a radius of 200 meters from Hermoso and from communicating with it for one year.

Three of their former colleagues in Rubiales who were also in a trial, accused of complicity in alleged coercion – Jorge Felda, coach of the World Cup, Robion Rivera, former head of marketing at FederaCión Española de fútbol (RFEF), at FederaCión Española de fútbol (RFEF). Albert Locke, the former sports director – was cleared of those charges.

Representatives of Prosecutor to prison on Rubiales, who last week told the court that he was “completely sure”, Hermoso gave her her approval before kissing her.

He described the qiblah as “the act of affection”, adding that at the moment it was “a completely spontaneous thing.”

In her testimony earlier this month, Hermoso insisted that she did not give Robalis permission and that the accident was “stained with one of the happiest days in my life.”

Rubiales was accused of sexual assault and an attempt to force Hermoso to say that the kiss was mutual.

The accident witnessed millions of viewers and a full playground after the Spanish Women’s team won the 2023 World Cup.

The uproar that followed this gave momentum to the movement “I also” in the Spanish women’s game, as the players sought to combat sexual bias and achieve parity with their male peers.

Rubiales resigned in September 2023 after weeks of pressure resistance to decline, after his suspension of FIFA and the Spanish prosecutors opened an investigation.