Luis Rubiales, the former Royal Spanish Football Federation president, has been found guilty of kissing player Jennifer Hermoso without her consent.
Rubiales, who was also a UEFA vice president, resigned in September 2023 after the controversy. Spain’s High Court has now fined him over €10,000 (£8,274), although he was cleared of coercion charges.
Prosecutors had pushed for a prison sentence for the former footballer, who played 53 times in La Liga. However, Rubiales had already received a three-year ban from football by FIFA following the incident.
The kiss happened after Spain’s victory in the FIFA Women’s World Cup final against England. While celebrating their 1-0 win, Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips during the medal ceremony.
At the time, Hermoso was Spain’s top scorer and now plays for Tigres UANL in Mexico’s Liga MX Femenil. She holds the record for most Pichichi trophies in women’s football history.
She told the court in Madrid that she never agreed to the kiss and that it ruined one of the happiest moments of her life.
Rubiales was accused of sexual assault and coercion for allegedly trying to force Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual.
However, he denied any wrongdoing, insisting it was a mutual and emotional moment.
Hermoso repeatedly disagreed, saying the kiss was not consensual. The case became a major issue for women’s football in Spain, leading to discussions about sexism in the sport and demands for equal treatment with the men’s team.
She said in court: “I knew I was being kissed by my boss, and that should not happen at work or anywhere else.”
The controversy sparked protests across Spain. Both the men’s and women’s teams staged a boycott, demanding a sport free from sexist behavior.
Meanwhile, Rubiales claimed he was a victim of false accusations, calling it a “witch hunt” by people he described as “false feminists.”
This incident has had a lasting impact on Spanish football, pushing for change in the sport’s culture.