Spain's Ex-football Boss Luis Rubiales Fined Over Forced Kiss

A Spanish court on Thursday convicted and fined former football chief Luis Rubiales of sexual assault over the forced kiss he gave star forward Jenni Hermoso but acquitted him of the charge of coercion

Prosecutors had sought a prison term of two-and-a-half years for Rubiales one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion for having allegedly pressured the player to downplay the incident afterwards.

The judge at Spain's High Court found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault over the kiss and fined him 10,800 R208 000, but spared him a prison sentence.

Rubiales was also banned from getting within a radius of 200 metres of Hermoso and from communicating with her for a period of one year.

Video footage of the scandal that rocked Spanish football shows then-Spanish federation chief Rubiales clasping Hermoso's head at the 2023 Women's World Cup medal ceremony in Sydney and kissing her on the lips before letting her go with two slaps on the back.