Topline
Luis Rubiales, the beleaguered former head of Spain’s Soccer Federation, was given a restraining order on Friday, after being accused of sexual assault for kissing Spanish Women’s National Team star Jenni Hermoso without consent following the club’s FIFA World Cup win last month, the BBC and ESPN reported.
Key Facts
A judge in Spain issued the order, banning Rubiales from going within 200 meters of Hermoso, following a request from prosecutors, who alleged the kiss was non-consensual.
Rubiales resigned from the federation last week–without apologizing–amid calls for him to step down and after the women’s national team launched a strike demanding better pay and threatened to refuse to play until Rubiales stepped down.
In addition to the accusation of sexual assault, Rubiales was also charged with coercion over the kiss.
Contra
In his resignation posted on X, Rubiales called the push for his resignation “disproportionate,” writing that he and his family “suffered the effects of persecution.” The Spanish Soccer Federation also defended Rubiales after the incident, labeling the moment a “totally spontaneous mutual gesture,” though it later launched an internal investigation into Rubiales following FIFA’s decision to suspend him from all soccer-related activities for 90 days.
Tangent
FIFA, in its suspension, also barred Rubiales, as well as the federation, from contacting Hermoso “or her close environment.”
This is a developing story and will be updated.
Further Reading
Spanish Soccer President Rubiales Resigns After Kissing World Cup Player (Forbes)
Spanish Soccer Chief Rubiales Faces Criminal Charges For Kissing Player (Forbes)