Luis Rubiales fined over unwanted kiss of female player, court rules

Former Spanish soccer federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of sexually assaulting a female player by kissing her without her consent. The incident took place after the Women’s World Cup victory in 2023. The High Court in Spain ordered Rubiales to pay a fine of approximately $10,400 and acquitted him of coercion charges. Additionally, he was prohibited from going within 200 meters of the soccer player and communicating with her for a year.

Jenni Hermoso, the player who accused Rubiales of the assault, stated that the kiss tarnished one of the happiest days of her life. Rubiales maintained that the kiss was consensual throughout the trial. Following the incident, Rubiales resigned from his position as Spain’s soccer president in 2023. Despite initially denying any wrongdoing and claiming he would not step down, he eventually left his post. Rubiales alleged that he was the target of a “witch hunt” by “false feminists.”

Since the assault, Hermoso has struggled to escape the spotlight, especially in Mexico where she plays for her club team in addition to representing her country. Former Spain women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sports director of Spain’s men’s national team Albert Luque, and the soccer federation’s former head of marketing Rubén Rivera were also on trial for allegedly pressuring Hermoso to publicly defend Rubiales after the incident. However, they were found not guilty.

Hermoso and prosecutors had sought a jail sentence for Rubiales. The case has garnered significant attention and controversy, highlighting the importance of consent and respect in sports and beyond. Fox News and The Associated Press contributed to the reporting of this story.

The article was written by Ryan Gaydos, a senior editor for Fox News Digital.