Former Spanish FA President Fined Over Incident Following Spain’s Historic Victory

Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of kissing Jenni Hermoso without her consent during Spain’s Women’s World Cup 2023 celebrations. A court ruled on Thursday that Rubiales had committed sexual assault but cleared him of coercion, ordering him to pay a fine exceeding 10,000 euros.

The trial, held at Madrid’s High Court, began on 3 February, with Rubiales facing sexual assault charges. Additionally, former Spain women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, ex-sports director of the men’s team Albert Luque, and former federation marketing head Rubén Rivera were accused of coercion.

Hermoso, Spain’s all-time top scorer, maintained that she never consented to the kiss. She recounted how Rubiales grabbed her by the head before kissing her, tarnishing what should have been one of the happiest moments of her life.

Despite his FIFA-imposed ban and resignation, Rubiales insisted the kiss was consensual, dismissing the case as a “witch hunt” led by “false feminists.” He claimed Hermoso had agreed to the kiss, telling the court: “I asked her, ‘Can I give you a little kiss?’ She said, ‘all right.'”

The judge noted evidence suggesting Rubiales had unsuccessfully pressured Hermoso to appear in a video to justify his actions amid mounting public outrage. Testimony also indicated that Vilda pressured Hermoso’s brother, while Luque and Rivera allegedly played roles in coercion attempts.

The incident, broadcast globally as Spain celebrated their victory over England, caused international backlash. Rubiales’ behaviour, which included grabbing his crotch near Queen Letizia and Princess Sofia, fuelled Spain’s #SeAcabó (“It’s Over”) movement—its version of MeToo—sparking nationwide protests, including in Rubiales’ hometown of Motril, where his mother staged a hunger strike in his defence.