BBC News
ReutersSpanish prosecutors have demanded a retrial in the case of former football federation president Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
In February, Rubiales was fined €10,800 (£9,052) for that offence but found not guilty of coercion over allegations he pressured Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual.
Prosecutors have called for Rubiales to be jailed and appealed that verdict, seeking a retrial with a different judge after alleging the original was biased in Rubiales’s favour.
Rubiales grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on the lips as Spain’s players received their medals for winning the 2023 World Cup.
The incident, which occurred after Spain defeated England in Sydney, was witnessed by millions on television and in the stadium, and triggered protests and calls for Rubiales’s resignation.
The 47-year-old previously said he will appeal against the guilty verdict.
Three of Rubiales’s former colleagues were also accused of colluding in the alleged coercion.
Jorge Vilda, coach of the World Cup-winning side, Rubén Rivera, the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF)’s former head of marketing, and Albert Luque, former sporting director, were all cleared.
The court’s ruling also banned the former football president from going within a 200m radius of Hermoso or communicating with her for one year.
During the trial, Rubiales told the court he was “absolutely sure” Hermoso had given her consent before he kissed her.
He described the kiss as an “act of affection”, adding that in the moment it was “something completely spontaneous”.
In her testimony, Hermoso insisted she had not given her consent and said the incident had “stained one of the happiest days of my life”.
She told the court in Madrid: “My boss was kissing me and this shouldn’t happen in any social or work setting.”
The incident gave momentum to a Me Too-style movement in the Spanish women’s game, in which players sought to combat sexism and achieve parity with their male peers.
Rubiales resigned in September 2023 following weeks of resisting pressure to stand down and after he was suspended by Fifa.
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