Former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexually assaulting player Jenni Hermoso on Thursday for kissing her without consent after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
Spain’s High Court set a fine of over €10,000 ($10,434.00) for the crime, but acquitted Rubiales of a count of coercion.
Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Rubiales in a case that marred the celebrations of Spain’s first Women’s World Cup title and sparked a debate about sexism in women’s football and wider Spanish society.
Rubiales said Hermoso consented to the kiss, but she denied it.
Rubiales was cleared of the charge of coercion for trying to downplay the kiss on the lips of Hermoso during the awards ceremony after the final in Sydney.
Three other former Spanish federation members accused of coercion — former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of the men’s team Albert Luque and head of marketing Ruben Rivera — were also cleared of the charge.
The ruling banned Rubiales from going within a 200-meter radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year. The fine was set at…
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