Ex-Spain Football Chief Slapped with Restraining Order Over Women’s World Cup Kiss Scandal
Luis Rubiales, the disgraced former head of the Spanish Football Federation, has been slapped with a restraining order to keep him away from star player Jenni Hermoso. The move follows the shocking moment Rubiales planted an unwanted kiss on Hermoso’s lips during the Women’s World Cup awards last month.
Rubiales Ordered to Keep 200 Metres Away from Hermoso
Prosecutors pushed for Rubiales to be barred from coming within 500 metres of Hermoso, forbidding any kind of contact. But Judge Francisco de Jorge cut that distance to 200 metres in his ruling. The hearing, held behind closed doors, saw Rubiales fiercely deny any wrongdoing, claiming the kiss was consensual. Hermoso has flat-out rejected that, insisting she never agreed to it.
Sexual Assault Charges Hit Rubiales
Just last week, Spanish state prosecutors hit Rubiales with formal sexual assault and coercion charges. Hermoso’s lawyer, Carla Vall i Duran, fired back at the former boss:
“Thanks to the images of the kiss, the entire world has been able to observe that there was no type of consent. And we are going to prove that in the courtroom.”
FIFA has also suspended Rubiales pending its own investigation. The scandal forced him to quit the federation’s top job, despite initially resisting calls to resign amid mounting pressure and protests.
Legal Battle Looms Under Tough New Consent Laws
Judge de Jorge is leading a preliminary probe to decide if Rubiales will face trial. Under Spain’s strict new sexual consent law, designed to toss out blurred lines between harassment and assault, Rubiales could face one to four years behind bars if found guilty. The law clamps down on any sexual act without clear consent.
Hermoso, now playing for Mexican club Pachuca, spoke out on social media about the incident:
“I felt vulnerable and a victim of an impulse-driven, sexist, out-of-place act without any consent on my part. Simply put, I was not respected.”
This story is far from over as Spanish football reels from one of its biggest scandals yet.
