Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spanish soccer, is facing trial for alleged sexual assault related to a kiss he gave to player Jenni Hermoso at the 2023 World Cup Final. The trial started in Madrid on February 3, where Hermoso, 34, stated that she never agreed to the kiss.
In her testimony, she described the incident, saying, “I didn’t hear or understand anything. The next thing he did was put his hands over my ears and kissed me on the mouth.” Hermoso expressed feeling “disrespected” and said that the moment took away from one of the happiest days of her life.
Rubiales, who was the head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, is being charged for this unsolicited kiss, which took place after the Spanish women’s team won the World Cup on August 20, 2023. Following the incident, he announced his resignation on September 10, 2023.
During the trial, three of Rubiales’ colleagues are also on trial for alleged coercion, including Spain’s team coach Jorge Vilda and former sporting director Albert Luque. Hermoso emphasized that the kiss was inappropriate in any work or social setting and mentioned feeling a lack of protection from the federation following the incident.
Prosecutors are asking for a one-year prison sentence for Rubiales and an additional year and a half for coercion, claiming he pressured Hermoso to state that the kiss was consensual, which he denies. Hermoso revealed in court that she had been shown a statement written by retired soccer figures to help ease the situation, and she sought psychological help in Mexico, where she plays soccer.
The trial commenced after Hermoso was initially dropped from the national team roster in September 2023 for upcoming matches, with the new coach claiming it was to protect her. She returned to the team in October 2023, the same month FIFA announced a three-year ban for Rubiales from soccer.
