FORMER football chief Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of kissing Jenni Hermoso without consent after the Women's World Cup final in 2023.
The former Spanish FA boss, has been ordered to pay a fine of over £8,000 bringing the "Kissgate" scandal to an end but has dodged jail.
The moment when Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips after their World Cup win
Spain's High Court convicted Rubiales guilty of sexual assault at the 2023 World Cup final in Sydney, where Spain defeated England.
The court set a fine of over €10,000 (£8,274) but acquitted him and the three other accused in the case of the charge of coercion.
Prosecutors had sought a prison term of two-and-a-half years for Rubiales.
Rubiales has repeatedly denied any wrongdoing, insisting the kiss was a “peck between friends celebrating.”
A statement from the court said: "The ruling bans Rubiales from going within a 200-meter radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year."
Earlier this month, Hermoso took the stand at Madrid’s Audiencia Nacional court, and described how Rubiales grabbed her head and kissed her without consent staining “one of the happiest days of my life."
"I didn't hear or understand anything," she told the court.
"The next thing he did was to grab me by the ears and kiss me on the mouth.
"I felt it was totally out of place and I then realised my boss was kissing me, and this shouldn't happen in any social or work setting.
"A kiss on the lips is only given when I decide so."
She added: "As a woman, I felt disrespected. It was a moment that stained one of the happiest days of my life."
The court also heard that just hours after the kiss, Rubiales and his aides allegedly pressured Hermoso to declare it was consensual to contain the growing backlash.
She was called off the team bus at Sydney’s stadium and shown a statement she was expected to sign.
Hermoso recalled breaking down in tears as pressure mounted on her to publicly downplay the incident.
The Spanish footballer told the court: “I skim-read it and said and knew I hadn’t written a word of it.
“It was a statement I had supposedly drafted myself and consented to being put out to fan the flames of the fuss that was being created by the kiss.
“The statement said Luis Rubiales and I were good friends and the kiss happened in the effusiveness of the moment. I said I didn’t agree to it going out.”
The kiss sparked outrage across the world as FIFA suspended Rubiales, who initially refused to resign and branded the controversy as a “witch hunt by fake feminism.”
Following Spain's win at the 2023 Women's World Cup, during celebrations, Rubiales kissed the team's Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
Striker Hermoso lodged a sexual assault complaint in person at the State Attorney General's Office.
She described the kiss as ''an impulsive, sexist act, out of place and without any type of consent on my part.''
He eventually resigned in September 2023 following backlash sparked by the scandal.
Rubiales was banned for three years from all football activity in October 2023 over his conduct at the World Cup final in Sydney, which was upheld on appeal in January 2024.
FIFA said at the time the appeal was upheld: "FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld."
The incident also sparked national protests in Spain calling for "a sport free of sexist violence".
Rio, 46, and Kate, 33, have officially moved to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) moving from Bromley, South East London.Rio and Kate Ferdinand have moved to DubaiKate announced their move on Instagram and showed off their new homeThe family posed for sweet snaps to commemorate the moveKate took to her Instagram account to share a series of photos of their new life in the sunny Gulf state.The first s...
Lamine Yamal has announced his romanceBarcelona sensation Lamine Yamal appears to have settled down after confirming he's in a relationship.The Spain star hit the headlines in the summer after allegedly dating, and annoying, two adult star models. While his 18th birthday party also made waves after controversial claims about him hiring dwarves as entertainment and inviting models based on physical...
Ana Maria, 25, has impressed on the pitch as well as being lauded as the 'world's most beautiful footballer'.Ana Maria Markovic has signed for Brooklyn FC in the USL Super LeagueAna Maria joins the club alongside her sister KikiNow her on-field efforts have earned her a move Stateside after spending her entire career to date playing in Europe.Ana Maria has joined USL Super League team Brooklyn FC....
Glam footballer Gabriella Howell has admitted she's "falling in love" after watching Tottenham Hotspur on Saturday lunchtime.Spurs stunned a lacklustre Manchester City away from home as they moved to the summit of the Premier League table. Brennan Johnson and Joao Palhinha both found the net, leaving Pep Guardiola ripping up his tactics book.And Gabriella, who is a massive Tottenham fan, took to s...
BBC presenter Emma Louise Jones is no stranger to putting on a breathtaking display.But her latest get-up saw her suffer an unexpected wardrobe malfunction at a public event.The veteran presenter donned a flowy white dress with polka dots for a day out at York Races.Emma, 34, gave her 424,000 Instagram followers a glimpse at her stunning outfit before heading out for the day.She said in the clip: ...
GLAMOROUS Sky Sports host Katharina Kleinfeldt made headlines on Saturday after suffering a howler of a blunder on TV.But the cringe-inducing moment is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the fascinating life she leads.Kleinfeldt, 34, is a presenter for Sky Sports in Germany, and was covering Saturday's clash between Frankfurt and Werder Bremen when she made the slip up.Following the matc...
The model got engaged to long-term boyfriend Cristiano Ronaldo earlier this month.Georgina Rodriguez put on a stunning displayShe enjoyed some down time at a resort on the Red SeaThe model showed off in a number of looksShe and the kids enjoyed some down time at a holiday resort on Ummahat Island in the Red Sea.Georgina, 31, enjoyed a bike ride in the evening and stunned in her barely-there outfit...
Bayern Munich's new signing Tom Bischof is reportedly dating the daughter of a German footballing legend. The attacking midfielder, 20, made the move to the Bundesliga giants earlier this summer after signing a pre-contract agreement to move from Hoffenheim at the end of his contract. And it seems he's settling into life in Bavaria pretty well, and has even found himself a new girlfriend.Indeed, B...
The Norwegian striker, 25, is preparing for Saturday lunchtime's tasty-looking clash with Tottenham - with both teams fresh from big wins in the opening weekend.Erling Haaland arrived at Man City training in his new £350,000 FerrariHaaland's new £350,000 Ferrari 12Cilindri can reach a staggering 211mphHaaland cruised into training ahead of Man City's clash with Spurs on SaturdayAnd Haala...
The Italian went bra-less in the new snaps, uploaded to her Instagram account on Wednesday.Diletta Leotta stunned fans in a snug new outfitThe Italian sports presenter uploaded the images to her 9.2 million Instagram followersThe back-less and side-less dress showed off a healthy dose of sideboob.Leotta took the pics in her native island of SicilyThe sheer dress left little to the imagination, esp...
- 1 Ruben Amorim gives cryptic response when asked about Andre Onana returning to starting XI for Fulham clash after Altay Bayindir blunder handed Arsenal victory
- 2 'Victory Bodes Well for Future' – Gasperini Delighted with Roma’s Opening Day Win
- 3 TIPS - Eintracht Frankfurt VS Werder Bremen
- 4 Transfer rumors, news: Arsenal could turn to Lyon's Fofana
- 5 Antony’s Man United Exit Hopes Rest on Fresh Real Betis Bid Within 'Next 24 Hours'
- 6 TIPS - Cerezo Osaka VS Vissel Kobe
- 7 TIPS - Gamba Osaka VS Yokohama FC
- 8 TIPS - Schalke 04 VS VfL Bochum
- 9 TIPS - Sunderland A.F.C. VS Huddersfield Town A.F.C.
- 10 TIPS - Olympique de Marseille VS Paris FC