Former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales is facing trial for an incident that occurred after the World Cup final last summer. Rubiales, 46, is due to go on trial for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the mouth, an act that Hermoso and her team-mates deemed as demeaning and non-consensual. As a result, Rubiales ultimately resigned from his position.
In a recent Spanish TV interview, Rubiales questioned if he is facing trial for sexual assault “because he’s a man.” He denied any wrongdoing with the kiss, stating, “You cannot question Jennifer Hermoso, but you can question me – because I am a man? For me there is no crime against Jennifer Hermoso.”
Spanish prosecutors are seeking to jail Rubiales for two and a half years, with charges of coercion in addition to sexual assault. Rubiales was alleged to have coerced Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual, something he denied in the TV interview.
In a separate development, Rubiales was arrested as part of an unconnected corruption investigation after arriving in Madrid from the Dominican Republic. He is suspected of receiving illegal commissions when negotiating a deal to stage the Spanish Super Cup competition in Saudi Arabia. Rubiales has denied these allegations, stating that he has “never taken a bribe in my life” and calling the accusations “a lie.”
Despite the legal challenges he is facing, Rubiales maintains his innocence and asserts that there should be a presumption of innocence in any investigation. The former RFEF president’s bank accounts have been blocked, leaving him unable to even pay for a drink. The unfolding events surrounding Rubiales have sparked controversy and raised questions about gender dynamics and corruption in the world of football.
