Controversy Over 'Unwanted Kiss' Involving Former Football Association President... "Not Excessive" Disciplinary Action Confirmed

Kiss Without Consent at Women's World Cup Awards Ceremony
Fined 16 Million KRW in Criminal Court

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) has confirmed a three-year suspension for Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Federation, who caused controversy by forcibly kissing a player at the 2023 Women's World Cup awards ceremony.

On the 22nd (Korean time), the British BBC reported that the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Rubiales' appeal against the three-year suspension imposed by FIFA. CAS explained the dismissal by stating, "The sanctions imposed by FIFA are reasonable and not excessive."

At the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup awards ceremony, Luis Rubiales (right), then president of the Spanish Football Federation, is embracing Jennifer Hermoso. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Rubiales sparked controversy when he kissed Jennifer Hermoso, a player representing Spain, at the awards ceremony after Spain won the 2023 FIFA Australia-New Zealand Women's World Cup. At the time, he claimed that he had obtained Hermoso's consent beforehand. However, Hermoso and her teammates refuted this, stating that Hermoso did not want the kiss and felt insulted by the act. As a result of this incident, Rubiales eventually resigned from his position as president in September of the same year, and FIFA imposed the three-year suspension in October.

After receiving this sanction, he wrote on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), "I will file a lawsuit with the highest court to ensure justice is served and the truth is revealed." However, with the dismissal of this appeal, Rubiales will be unable to participate in football-related activities for the time being.

Meanwhile, on the 20th, the Madrid Criminal Court in Spain found Rubiales guilty of sexual harassment and sentenced him to a fine of 10,800 euros (approximately 16 million KRW). The court also ordered him not to approach the victim within 200 meters or contact her directly for one year. Rubiales was also charged with coercing Hermoso and others to state that there was consent regarding the kiss, but the court acquitted him of these charges due to insufficient evidence.

BBC reported that both Rubiales and Hermoso plan to appeal the criminal court's ruling.