Former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will stand trial for his unsolicited kiss of national team player Jenni Hermoso after a High Court judge admitted the case.
Rubiales faces one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss, with the offences subject to prison terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.
The High Court said it would also try the former coach of the women’s national team, Jorge Vilda, the team’s current sporting director, Albert Luque, and the federation’s head of marketing, Ruben Rivera, for coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.
Rubiales, grabbed Hermoso and kissed her on the lips last August 20 during the awards ceremony after Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup in Sydney, making global headlines and causing a national debate in Spain about sexism.
