+ The Incident
It was during the celebration of Spain's World Championship gold in the summer of 2023 that Luis Rubiales, then chairman of the Spanish Football Association, kissed star player Jennifer Hermoso. Rubiales has claimed that the kiss was mutual, while Hermoso says that there was no consent. After the incident, Rubiales is also said to have exerted pressure on Hermoso and her family to change her version.
+ The Consequences
The incident led to a new #MeToo wave sweeping through Spain in late summer, including demonstrations outside the Spanish Football Association's headquarters.
Luis Rubiales tried to hold on to his chairman position, but eventually resigned in early September 2023. The national team players planned to boycott the match against Sweden in Gothenburg a few weeks later. At the last minute, the issue was resolved when an agreement was reached on equality and the development of women's football in Spain.
Later in the fall, Rubiales was banned from all football-related activities for three years by the International Football Federation Fifa.
+ The Charges
The prosecutors want Luis Rubiales to be sentenced to a total of two and a half years in prison - one year for sexual assault and one and a half years for unlawful coercion.
Former national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sports director Albert Luque, and former marketing manager Ruben Rivera are also charged with trying to influence Hermoso.
+ The Trial
Begins on Monday and is expected to last for 13 trial days. The national court, Audiencia Nacional, has moved the proceedings to San Fernando de Henares outside Madrid due to the great media interest. Jennifer Hermoso is the first to be questioned. The now 34-year-old player is traveling to Madrid to be questioned on site and will therefore miss two matches with her current club, Mexican Tigres.
Later in the week, questioning is also expected to take place with national team players Irene Paredes and Alexia Putellas, as well as current national team coach Montse Tomé. The questioning of Rubiales and the other defendants will begin next Wednesday. A total of 27 people are expected to be questioned during the trial.
+ The Verdict
After the last trial day, on February 19, it may take several weeks before Judge José Manuel Clemente announces the court's verdict. Both Hermoso and the defendants will then have the opportunity to appeal the verdict to a higher instance in Audiencia Nacional and subsequently also to Tribunal Supremo, Spain's highest court. Last summer, Tribunal Supremo ruled, in a different case from 2020, that a kiss without consent should be considered sexual assault.
