Wed Jun 25 22:49:01 UTC 2025: **Rubiales to Fight Fine for Hermoso Kiss at Supreme Court**
MADRID – Disgraced former Spanish Football Federation chief Luis Rubiales is set to escalate his legal battle by appealing to the Supreme Court after a court upheld his $12,600 fine for forcibly kissing Spanish player Jenni Hermoso. The incident, which occurred during the medal ceremony following Spain’s victory at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, sparked international outrage and led to Rubiales’s downfall.
In February, Spain’s top criminal court found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the non-consensual kiss. While he was acquitted of coercion, related to allegedly pressuring Hermoso to downplay the incident, both sides appealed the initial sentence. Prosecutors sought a lengthier prison term, while Rubiales maintained the kiss was a consensual “peck.”
On Wednesday, the court rejected both appeals, upholding the conviction and the fine. The court emphasized that the kiss was not consensual and that Hermoso expressed her displeasure. In addition to the fine, a ban preventing Rubiales from being within 200 meters of Hermoso and contacting her for one year remains in place.
Rubiales’s lawyer, Olga Tubau, confirmed his intention to appeal to the Supreme Court. Prosecutors’ request for a retrial, citing doubts over the judge’s impartiality, was also dismissed.
The scandal forced Rubiales to resign and led to a three-year ban from all football-related activities. The incident also thrust Hermoso into the spotlight as a symbol of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sports.
Beyond the Hermoso case, Rubiales is also under investigation for alleged financial irregularities related to moving the Spanish Super Cup to Saudi Arabia.
First Piper 