Following Spain's Women's World Cup finals victory on August 20, 2023, a viral video surfaced revealing Spanish football president Luis Rubiales kissing star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips.
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And now after a Spanish High Court ruling, Luis Rubiales has been convicted of sexual assault for the non-consensual kissing incident.
He has been fined $10,434 USD (20 euros per day over an 18-month period), and is ordered to stay at least 200 meters feet away from Hermoso, which includes not being allowed to communicate with her for one year.
Soon after this incident transpired, video footage showed Hermoso displaying the viral picture to her teammates.
All in all, Hermoso was heard saying she "did not like it," and later denied Rubiales' claims that she consented to the kiss.
Per ESPN, "Rubiales was cleared of the charge of coercion for trying to downplay the kiss on the lips of Hermoso during the awards ceremony after the final in Sydney... Three other former Spanish federation members accused of coercion — former women's team coach Jorge Vilda, sports director of the men's team Albert Luque and head of marketing Ruben Rivera — were also cleared of the charge."
In what was meant to be a happy celebration of the team's 1-0 win over England (the country's second ever World Cup victory; 2010 men's), it seemingly was overshadowed by the controversy, as Hermoso claims she has even received death threats.
Ultimately, this case as a whole has opened up a long-standing debate of sexism in women's soccer.
Related: Fans Have Been Sent To Prison After Racial Abuse Incident Against Real Madrid's Vinícius Júnior
