Former Spanish soccer coach Luis Rubiales will stand trial on charges of sexual assault after allegedly grabbing star player Jennifer Hermoso by the head and forcibly kissing her on the mouth during a women's World Cup medal ceremony in August. became.
Spain's National Court of Justice made the decision on Wednesday evening after a judge concluded in January that Mr Rubiales should be held responsible for the kiss, which the judge said was “not consensual”. He said it falls within the scope of “sexual intimacy.”
Prosecutors and Mr. Hermoso's lawyer are asking for Mr. Rubiales to be sentenced to 2 1/2 years in prison, one year for the sexual assault charge and an additional 18 months for the coercion charge. Rubiales is accused of pressuring Hermoso to show support after the kiss.
Three other former soccer officials, including former women's team coach Jorge Vilda, have also been charged with extortion. They could each receive 18 months in prison.
The confirmation that Rubiales will face charges of sexual assault is the latest development in a high-profile case that has roiled Spanish football and fueled public reckoning over sexism and power imbalances. be.
Rubiales initially resisted calls to resign as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation and vice president of European soccer governing body UEFA, but resigned after a court issued a restraining order against him. FIFA, soccer's governing body, banned him from competitive action for three years.
Rubiales was briefly arrested in April as part of a broader investigation into corruption and money laundering related to hosting Spain's Super Cup tournament in Saudi Arabia. The player is also under investigation for allegedly hiring a detective to spy on the president of the Spanish players' association. He misused Federation funds to pay personal expenses. All allegations, including that he hosted a sex party paid for with federation funds in Granada in 2020, came to light after a formal complaint was filed with prosecutors.
Rubiales denies wrongdoing.
The court set bail at 65,000 euros (approximately $70,000) on the sexual assault charges, and a further 65,000 euros along with three other former officials also facing extortion charges. .