Disgraced former Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales will appeal to Spain’s Supreme Court after his conviction and 10,800-euro fine for forcibly kissing star footballer Jenni Hermoso was upheld. His lawyer, Olga Tubau, confirmed the appeal on Wednesday, marking the latest twist in a scandal that rocked global sport.
The controversial incident took place during the medal ceremony following Spain’s victory over England in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final in Sydney. Rubiales, then head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips, prompting immediate backlash and sparking a broader conversation about sexism and abuse of power in sport.
Spain’s top criminal court, the Audiencia Nacional, in February found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault but cleared him of coercion, which prosecutors claimed had taken place when Rubiales allegedly pressured Hermoso to downplay the incident afterward. Feminist groups across Spain and beyond have criticized the punishment as too lenient, falling well short of the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence prosecutors had sought.
In its latest ruling, the court dismissed appeals from both Rubiales’s defense and the prosecutors, stating unequivocally that “the kiss was not consensual” and highlighting Hermoso’s testimony and her teammates’ support as key evidence.
The court reaffirmed Rubiales’s ban from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters or contacting her for one year. While Rubiales has insisted the kiss was a “friendly peck” exchanged in celebration, the court ruled such behavior was inappropriate and far from “common or usual” under the circumstances.
In a separate development, prosecutors’ requests for a retrial due to perceived judicial bias were also rejected. Meanwhile, Rubiales, former women’s team coach Jorge Vilda, and two federation officials were cleared of coercion charges.
This incident has not only ended Rubiales’s football career he is currently banned from the sport for three years but also sparked institutional reforms within Spanish football and elevated Hermoso as a global symbol in the fight against gender-based violence in sport.
Rubiales is also facing a separate corruption probe involving the Spanish Super Cup’s controversial move to Saudi Arabia, a deal allegedly linked to a company owned by former Barcelona player Gerard Piqué. Rubiales has denied any wrongdoing.
