An investigating judge has proposed Luis Rubiales should be tried over his kiss on the lips of Spain midfielder Jennifer Hermoso during the Women’s World Cup final medal ceremony last year, and has concluded the kiss was non-consensual.
The incident overshadowed Spain’s World Cup success in August and ultimately ended in Rubiales’ resignation as the president of the Spanish football federation (RFEF).
The judge, Francisco De Jorge, has proposed three other individuals should be tried along with Rubiales – including World Cup-winning former Spain head coach Jorge Vilda – for exerting pressure on Hermoso to say she had consented to the kiss.
A statement issued by the press office of the Audiencia Nacional court read: “The judge of the Audiencia Nacional Francisco de Jorge has proposed to try the former president of the Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales for the non-consensual kiss to the player of the Spanish national team Jennifer Hermoso after the final of the last World Cup, held on August 20 in Sydney (Australia).
“The magistrate also proposes to try Rubiales, along with the sports director of the men’s team, Albert Luque, the former coach of the women’s team Jorge Vilda and the former head of marketing of the federation Ruben Rivera for the subsequent pressure to which the player was subjected to agree to make a public statement affirming that the kiss had been consensual.
“In the order to move to an abbreviated procedure, in which the investigation is concluded considering that all the pertinent steps have been taken, the judge concludes that the kiss to the player ‘was not consensual and was a unilateral and unexpected move’ by Rubiales.”
Rubiales was given a three-year ban from all football-related activity by FIFA last October over his conduct at the World Cup final in Sydney.
In addition to kissing Hermoso, he also grabbed his crotch in celebration of Spain’s 1-0 victory over England while stood in the stadium’s VIP area.
While Rubiales has apologised over the latter incident, he maintains the kiss on Hermoso was consensual. He has appealed against the sanction imposed by FIFA.
