Former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales found guilty of sexually assaulting Jenni Hermoso after World Cup final | OneFootball

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexually assaulting forward Jenni Hermoso after the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.

He has been ordered to pay a fine of €10,800 by Spain’s High Court but has avoided a prison term, according to BBC News.

The 47-year-old has also been banned from going within 200 metres of the player or communicating with her for a period of one year.

Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for the former football official for allegedly trying to pressure Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.

Rubiales caused huge controversy during the 2023 World Cup final awards ceremony in August when he grabbed the Spanish forward by the head and kissed her on the lips.

The incident triggered protests and calls for his resignation from his post.

Rubiales eventually resigned in September, and he was banned from all football-related activities for three years by FIFA.

The former Spanish FA president claimed Hermoso had given her consent before he kissed her during the awards ceremony.

However, the player maintained the kiss wasn’t consensual and that the incident had ‘stained one of the happiest days’ of her life.

Three of Rubiales’s former colleagues – Jorge Vilda, Ruben Rivera and Albert Luque – were also on trial for colluding in the alleged coercion, but they were cleared of the charges.