What to know about Spain’s former soccer head Luis Rubiales’ guilty verdict : NPR

A Spanish court found former soccer federation boss Luis Rubiales guilty of sexual assault on Thursday for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent after the 2023 Women’s World Cup final. The infamous kiss, which stole attention away from the Spanish women’s team’s first World Cup victory, sparked widespread outrage and a debate over sexism in the sport and beyond.

Rubiales, the former president of Spain’s soccer federation, was also slapped with a fine and restraining order. He was spared a prison sentence that the prosecution had been seeking, and was acquitted of coercion charges alleging he’d pressured Hermosa to publicly support him.

Rubiales said he would appeal the ruling. 

Three other defendants — former Spanish women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda; former sports director of the men’s team, Albert Luque; and the federation’s former marketing head, Rubén Rivera — were also acquitted on coercion charges for lack of sufficient evidence. All four defendants have denied the charges, which were based on allegations that they pressured Hermoso to defend Rubiales.

It’s been a while since the incident occurred, and a lot has happened since. Here’s a recap of the case.

The kiss

The moment on Aug. 20, 2023, was televised live around the world.

During the World Cup medal ceremony in Sydney, the Spanish players lined up to accept their gold medals and congratulations from a receiving line that included Rubiales. When he greeted Hermoso, Rubiales hugged the star forward tightly, and pulled her in to plant a firm kiss on her lips. The soccer chief also kissed several other players on the cheek.

The aftermath

Rubiales, who has maintained that the kiss was consensual and mutual, said in the immediate aftermath that he was the victim of a “witch hunt” and “false feminists.”

Hermoso said the kiss happened without her consent, and had tarnished what should have been a celebration of her team’s historic achievement.

“I felt vulnerable and the victim of aggression, an impulsive, sexist, out-of-place act and without any kind of consent on my part. Simply, I was not respected,” she said in a statement.

While the soccer program saw the resignation of federation vice president Rafael del Amo and at least two others, Rubiales refused.

Hermoso and her teammates said they would not play as long as Rubiales was at the helm, and called for wider structural changes within the federation. Almost three weeks later, Rubiales resigned, saying that he could not do his job in the face of the accusations and backlash.

After launching disciplinary proceedings, FIFA, the sport’s governing body, banned Rubiales from all soccer activity for three years, finding that he violated Article 13 of FIFA’s disciplinary code prohibiting offensive behavior by officials or players. The Spanish government’s sports authority also barred him from holding a post in sports management for three years.

The players returned to the team after reaching an agreement with the federation, mediated by the government, that included reforms. Among the immediate changes was the elimination of the word “women’s” from the team’s official name, which became “Spain’s national soccer team.”

The trial

During the trial, Hermoso said the unsolicited kiss and the subsequent fallout “tainted one of the happiest days of my life.”

Her teammates testified that the turmoil left her emotionally distraught for days.

Rubiales, however, said he was “completely sure” he had asked Hermoso for consent.

Rubiales said he regretted the kiss because it wasn’t appropriate behavior for a national federation president, the Associated Press reported, but that his actions should not be considered sexual assault.

The incident came in the wake of new legislation in Spain aimed at toughening consequences for sexual violence. One law approved in 2022 — also known as the “Only yes is yes” law — removed the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault,” and comes with penalties for any nonconsensual sexual act.

All defendants were accused of (unsuccessfully) pressuring Hermoso to appear in a video Rubiales produced and published, as public outcry over the then-soccer boss grew.

Ultimately, the high court judge said he found Hermoso’s version of the events credible, and that the player had no motive to harm Rubiales’ reputation.

Rubiales was ordered to pay a fine of $10,000, to stay at least 200 meters (about 650 feet) from Hermoso, and to not communicate with her for a year. He must also pay an additional $3,150 in damages as well as half of Hermoso’s legal fees.

The judge declined to impose prison time, because he said the nonconsensual act was a kiss, not a more serious act, and involved no violence or intimidation.

Lawyers for Rubiales and Hermoso were not immediately available for comment. Rubiales told Reuters, “I am going to keep fighting.”

Although some lamented the lack of prison time and convictions for coercion, the verdict was widely received as win for women’s rights.

“When there is no consent, as the ruling says, there is aggression,” Spain’s equality minister Ana Redondo said after the guilty verdict. “The words of the victim must be respected.”

The Association of Spanish Footballers, a union that acted as a private prosecutor in the case, said the ruling “represents a significant step in the defense of women’s rights and in the fight for a sport free of abuse and inequality.”

The world player’s union, FIFPRO, said that while the ruling enforces that such behavior is unacceptable, there should have been a harsher consequence.

“We also acknowledge that the level of punishment by the courts must send a stronger message that addresses the gross imbalance of power and hierarchy present in such circumstances,” its statement read.