Former Spanish football head facing 2½ prison sentence for kissing player

Prosecutors in Spain are seeking a two-and-a-half-year jail term for the former head of the country’s football federation over an embarrassing incident that occurred last year.

This comes after Mr. Luis Rubiales kissed female footballer Ms. Jenni Hermoso without her consent during celebrations of Spain’s World Cup victory in the middle of last year.

Court documents show that the defendant faces charges of sexual harassment and coercion after grabbing Jenni Hermoso and kissing her on the mouth in August last year.

The captain of the Spanish national team and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and humiliating. Mr. Rubiales was forced to resign, despite denying any wrongdoing.

Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged Mr. Rubiales with one count of sexual harassment and one count of coercion for his actions after the kiss. The charges carry penalties of one year and 18 months in prison respectively.

Ms. Durantez also accused former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the current sports director of the team, Albert Luque, and the federation’s market chief, Ruben Rivera, of forcing Ms. Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual.

The charge alleged they harassed her repeatedly, including with pressure from friends and family.

All three denied the charges when they appeared in court. Each could face up to 18 months in prison if found guilty.

Ms. Durantez also seeks a total compensation of £85,677 (Ksh 14,221,814) for Ms. Hermoso, with Mr. Rubiales to pay at least half of this amount.

She also requested a restraining order against Mr. Rubiales, preventing him from coming within 200 meters of Ms. Hermoso and contacting her for the next seven and a half years.

The scandal occurred during a historic moment for the Spanish women’s team, which at the time was celebrating its first-ever World Cup victory.

During the trophy presentation ceremony, Mr. Rubiales held Ms. Hermoso’s head in his hands and kissed her on the lips.