Breaking: Spanish court finds Luis Rubiales guilty of non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been found guilty of kissing footballer Jenni Hermoso without her consent after the Women’s World Cup final in 2023.

Spain’s High Court has imposed a fine exceeding £8,274 (€10,000) but acquitted him of coercion, despite prosecutors seeking a prison sentence.

Hermoso testified in Madrid that she “never” consented to the kiss, stating that the incident “tainted one of the happiest days” of her life.

Rubiales, 47, had been accused of sexual assault and coercion, with prosecutors arguing he pressured Hermoso to publicly declare the kiss was consensual.

Rubiales denied the allegations, insisting the kiss was mutual and occurred in a “moment of jubilation.”

“When Jenny came up to me, she kind of made a face. We’ve known each other for a long time. Obviously, the kiss was because we became champions.

“She’d missed a penalty and with all the tension during the game, I said, ‘forget about the penalty – we’re champions and this is down to you. Without you, we wouldn’t have done it’.

“And she hugged me very, very hard just below my armpits and lifted me off the ground.

“When I kind of hit the ground again, I said, ‘… can I give you a kiss?’ and she said, ‘okay’,” he claimed.

He also said that the “law of physics” meant that he could not be “on top of her” during the kiss, as the prosecution framed the incident.