Former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales (Photo by Florencia Tan Jun, Cameron Spencer/Getty Images)
Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of kissing Spanish footballer Jenni Hermoso without her consent after the World Cup final in 2023.
The former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation caused huge controversy when he grabbed Hermoso and kissed her in celebration of the Spanish national team’s victory over England in the 2023 final.
As reported by the BBC, Rubiales has now been found guilty and fined €10,000, despite him insisting that Hermoso had given her consent before the kiss.
“I’ve got NO respect for him, he’s even worse than Mario Balotelli!” – which ex-Liverpool teammate is Steven Gerrard talking about?
This sparked big protests at the time, in what has resulted in being a hugely significant Me-Too-esque moment in women’s football.
Hermoso always maintained her stance that she didn’t give Rubiales consent to kiss her on the lips, slamming the incident for having “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
Luis Rubiales to avoid jail time
The BBC’s report goes on to say that there had been calls for Rubiales to spend some time in prison, though it seems he will only have to pay a fine.
Rubiales was also banned from all football activities for three years from 2023.
It was a big win for Spain, who have dominated European and world football at all levels in recent times.
Spain’s men’s team would also go on to beat England at Euro 2024, while Real Madrid won the Champions League last season.
Barcelona, meanwhile, have won the last two women’s Champions League finals in a row.
