The former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales has been banned by Fifa from all football activity for three years.
Rubiales caused a scandal when he kissed the Spain footballer Jenni Hermosos on the lips during the Women’s World Cup final presentation ceremony after the victory over England in August.
While Rubiales initially attempted to carry on in his role, he subsequently resigned last month and has now been punished for a breach of article 13 of Fifa’s disciplinary code.
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Fifa said in a statement that its disciplinary committee “has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years, having found that he acted in breach of article 13 of the Fifa Disciplinary Code.
“This case relates to the events that occurred during the final of the Fifa Women’s World Cup on 20 August 2023, for which Mr Rubiales had been provisionally suspended for an initial period of 90 days. Mr Rubiales has been notified of the terms of the Fifa Disciplinary Committee’s decision today.
“In accordance with the relevant provisions of the Fifa disciplinary code, he has 10 days in which to request a motivated decision, which, if requested, would subsequently be published on legal.fifa.com. The decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the Fifa appeal committee.”
Fifa added that it is absolutely committed “to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld.”
The high court in Spain has been examining the case after prosecutors cited concerns that there could be grounds to charge Rubiales with sexual assault as well as coercion over the Hermoso kiss.
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In a statement published on 25 August, Hermoso said the incident had left her feeling “vulnerable and a victim of aggression”. She characterised the kiss as an “impulsive act, sexist, out of place and without any type of consent from my part”.
Rubiales has claimed the kiss was consensual. He vowed to defend his “innocence” in a lengthy statement published last month and added: “I have faith in the truth and I will do everything in my power so that it prevails.”
Hermoso made a triumphant return to the Spain team on Friday, coming on as a substitute against Italy to score the winning goal in a 1-0 victory against Italy in the Nations League.
Olivia Martin is a dedicated sports journalist based in the UK. With a passion for various athletic disciplines, she covers everything from major league championships to local sports events, delivering up-to-the-minute updates and in-depth analysis.
