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SEXISM

Spanish prosecutors want Rubiales jailed for 2.5 years for World Cup kiss

Spanish prosecutors are seeking two-and-a-half years jail for disgraced ex-football chief Luis Rubiales who is facing trial for kissing Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips against her will, court documents showed Wednesday

Spanish prosecutors want Rubiales jailed for 2.5 years for World Cup kiss
Luis Rubiales delivers a speech in August 2023. Photo: Eidan RUBIO/RFEF/AFP.

Prosecutors also want Rubiales, who has been charged with sexual assault and coercion, to pay at least €50,000 ($54,000) in compensation to Hermoso, they wrote in a document sent to Spain’s Audiencia Nacional court, a copy of which was seen by AFP.

During the incident, which took place on August 20 after Spain beat England to win the Women’s World Cup final in Australia, Rubiales held Hermoso’s head in both hands and forcibly kissed her on the lips.

The kiss took place live in front of the world’s cameras, provoking widespread outrage and prompting his suspension by world football governing body FIFA.  At the time, Rubiales brushed it off as “a consensual” peck on the lips, but Hermoso, 33, said it was not.

READ ALSO: Death of the Iberian macho: What the Rubiales kiss uproar says about Spain

Under Spanish law, a non-consensual kiss can be classed as sexual assault — a criminal category that groups all types of sexual violence.

Rubiales “grabbed the player’s head with both hands, and surprisingly and without consent or the player’s acceptance, he kissed her on the lips,” they wrote.

After realising the kiss could have “personal and professional consequences” with his suspension by FIFA on August 26, Rubiales and his entourage began to exert “constant pressure” on Hermoso so that she “publicly justify” the kiss as consensual.

PROFILE: Who is Spain’s disgraced football chief Luis Rubiales?

The pressure caused her “anxiety and intense stress” for several months, they wrote.

Prosecutors requested that the 46-year-old face a year behind bars for the kiss, and 18 months jail for the charge of coercion.

Three of his former associates are also being tried for putting pressure on Hermoso: former women’s coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team director Albert Luque and RFEF marketing boss Ruben Rivera.

In terms of compensation, prosecutors want Rubiales to pay Hermoso €50,000 for the kiss and have said that he and the three other defendants jointly pay her 50,000 euros for the coercion charge.

It was not immediately clear whether the amount would be evenly split.

Hermoso filed a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, telling the judge she had come under pressure to defend him both on the flight back from Australia and on a subsequent team holiday to Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.

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CORRUPTION

Spain pledges to fix ‘unacceptable’ state of football federation

The Spanish government pledged Tuesday to fix the country's scandal-struck football federation (RFEF) which they said is in an "unacceptable situation".

Spain pledges to fix 'unacceptable' state of football federation

President Luis Rubiales resigned in disgrace last September after his forcible kiss on the lips of Women’s World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, and is now being investigated in a corruption probe.

The only candidate to replace Rubiales, Pedro Rocha, is also being investigated, while a report from the country’s leading sports court (TAD) said the RFEF had taken decisions “beyond its remit”.

“The High Council for Sports (CSD) and the government are going to do everything in their power to rectify this unacceptable situation,” said Jose Manuel Uribes, president of the CSD and Secretary of State for Sport.

According to Spanish media, the sports court found the RFEF management committee — which stepped in after Rubiales resigned — had taken actions it was not permitted to take, including renewing men’s team coach Luis de la Fuente’s contract.

“Following the resolution (of TAD), which describes the actions of the (RFEF) president and the Management Committee in recent months as very serious, I am going to call a meeting of the board of directors in the next few days to take a decision,” said Uribes.

The CSD could then declare Rocha — vice-president under Luis Rubiales and then the RFEF’s interim chief — ineligible to be president, although he is the only candidate for the elections on May 6th.

At the heart of the corruption investigation is the lucrative contract signed by Rubiales to relocate the Spanish Supercup to Saudi Arabia.

“It is in the interests of the government that the investigation gets to the bottom of things,” added Uribes.

However, he insisted the scandals would “not at all” impact Spain’s hosting of the 2030 World Cup.

“I am speaking with FIFA nearly every day, I think there’s never been such fluid communication,” he added.

“They are certain that Spain is a country that knows how to organise things … the World Cup is not in danger.”

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