20.02.2025 18:30
In the trophy ceremony of the 2023 Women's Football World Cup, Luis Manuel Rubiales Bejar, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, was fined a total of 18 months at a rate of 20 euros per day for sexual harassment after being accused of kissing female footballer Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes on the lips without her consent. He was acquitted of the charges of pressuring Hermoso.
The former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Manuel Rubiales Bejar, has been fined in connection with a case regarding the incident during the trophy ceremony of the Women's Football World Cup, which Spain won in August 2023, where he kissed female footballer Jennifer Hermoso Fuentes on the lips without her consent, leading to his resignation.
DAILY FINE OF 20 EUROS FOR 18 MONTHS
The National Court in Madrid concluded the case, which was heard from February 3 to 12 following Hermoso's complaint. The court imposed a fine of 20 euros daily for a total of 18 months for Rubiales, who faced a request from the prosecution for a total of 2 years and 6 months in prison for "sexual harassment" and "coercion," while acquitting him of the coercion charges.
WILL NOT BE ALLOWED TO APPROACH HERMOSO WITHIN 200 METERS
Rubiales, who received a fine of approximately 10,800 euros in a case closely followed by the Spanish and global public, was also prohibited from approaching and communicating with female footballer Hermoso within 200 meters for one year.
ACQUITTED OF COERCION CHARGES
The court announced the acquittal of Rubiales and other defendants, including former Men's National Team Sports Director Albert Luque Martos, former Women's National Team Head Coach Jorge Vilda Rodriguez, and former Football Federation Marketing Director Ruben Rivera Teijido, who were accused of trying to pressure the player to downplay the non-consensual kiss incident.
Throughout the trial, 27 witnesses were heard, including current Men's National Team Head Coach Luis de la Fuente, Women's National Team Director Ana Alvarez, and Press Officer Patricia Perez, all of whom work within the RFEF.
"I FELT HARASSED"
In her testimony on the first day of the trial, female footballer Hermoso stated regarding the incident where former RFEF President Rubiales kissed her on the lips at the trophy ceremony, "My boss was kissing me. I felt disrespected. This should not happen in any work environment. I felt harassed."
Hermoso explained that Rubiales did not ask for her permission to kiss her, that she could not react immediately, and that at that moment, she was overwhelmed with the celebration and joy of being a world champion, not thinking of anything else. She claimed that after this incident, she felt pressured by federation officials to release a joint video or make a written statement with Rubiales, both on the return flight and during their celebration in Ibiza.
FORCED TO RESIGN AFTER BACKLASH
This case, filed by Hermoso in collaboration with the Spanish Women's Football Players Association, sparked serious social discussions in Spain regarding "male-female relationships in workplaces and machismo."
Rubiales, who was the president of the RFEF from 2018 to 2023, was forced to resign from his position in September 2023 following the backlash from the incident of kissing female footballer Hermoso.
ALSO ACCUSED OF RECEIVING COMMISSIONS
In another investigation against him, Rubiales is accused of obtaining 3.8 million euros from a construction company in connection with certain contracts linked to the RFEF during his presidency and receiving a total of 530,000 euros in commissions from other businesses.
Meanwhile, the judge stated that while the act of kissing the female footballer is "condemnable, it is carried out in the excitement of the celebration."