Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish soccer federation, was convicted on Thursday for sexually assaulting a female player by kissing her without her consent after Spain’s victory in the 2023 Women’s World Cup. Spain’s High Court imposed a fine of approximately $10,400 on Rubiales and acquitted him of coercion charges. Additionally, he is prohibited from approaching the player within 200 meters or communicating with her for one year.
Jenni Hermoso accused Rubiales of the non-consensual kiss during the celebration of Spain’s win over England. Throughout the trial, Rubiales insisted that the kiss was consensual. Hermoso described the incident as having “stained one of the happiest days of my life.”
Following the incident, Rubiales faced immense pressure to resign from his position as president of the Spanish soccer federation in 2023, ultimately stepping down while also receiving a three-year ban from FIFA. Initially, he had claimed he would not resign, characterizing himself as a victim of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”
Since the incident, Hermoso has struggled to avoid the media spotlight, particularly in Mexico, where she plays for her club team while fulfilling her national duties. Other individuals, including former Spain women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sports director of Spain’s men’s national team Albert Luque, and the soccer federation’s former head of marketing Rubén Rivera, were also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to publicly support Rubiales after the incident. They were found not guilty.
Hermoso and the prosecutors had sought a jail sentence for Rubiales.
