The Spanish Prosecutor's Office requested two and a half years in prison for the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, for the kiss he gave to the soccer player Jennifer Hermoso. The events occurred while the Spanish national team was celebrating the title won in the Women's World Cup held in Australia and New Zealand.
Aside from the prison sentence, the Prosecutor's Office also asks that Rubiales pay over $100,000 to Hermoso in compensation, in addition to being prohibited from having any verbal or physical contact with the soccer player for four years.
The event occurred on Aug. 20, 2023. A few days after that event, a video went viral in which Hermoso is seen joking about the kiss: "Kiss, kiss, kiss," her teammates shouted while the soccer player laughed.
On Sept. 6, Hermoso went to court and reported Rubiales for kissing her without her consent. The accused had to resign from his position as president of the RFEF, alleging that there are "de facto powers" that would prevent his return to the organization:
I don't want Spanish soccer to be harmed by this entire disproportionate campaign.
Rubiales not only lost his position in the federation. FIFA decided to disqualify him for three years. According to the highest body in world soccer, these acts constituted a violation of its disciplinary code and "the basic rules of decent behavior."
