The former head of Spanish football has been convicted for harassment against a female player.

Rubiales has been fined €10,000. Additionally, he is prohibited from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters and from contacting her in any other way for a year. The prosecution sought a prison sentence of two to two and a half years for the former president of the football federation.

The incident occurred in August 2023 and sparked national and international debates about sexism in sports and consent. During the trial, Hermoso recounted that she received death threats and that Rubiales attempted to coerce her into withdrawing her accusations. Rubiales himself denies this.

Initially, Rubiales was charged with two counts: harassment and coercion to withdraw accusations. Ultimately, he was found not guilty of coercion, as were three other defendants—former women's national team coach Jorge Vilda, former sports director of the Spanish football federation Alberto Luque, and former marketing director of the federation Ruben Rivera.

The 33-year-old footballer immediately after the incident posted on Instagram that she "did not like" Rubiales' actions. The victim claimed that the organization’s directors pressured her to retract her accusations. She refused, but the federation still published a statement in her name defending Rubiales.

During the trial, he insisted that the kiss with the footballer was consensual: "I am absolutely sure that she gave me her permission. At that moment, it was something completely spontaneous."

Rubiales' actions were categorically condemned by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, who called the kiss an "unacceptable gesture." Dozens of players from the Spanish national team refused to participate in further matches until Rubiales stepped down. He repeatedly refused to do so and demanded an end to the "witch hunt," but in September 2023, he eventually resigned. In October 2023, he was disqualified and banned from any football-related activities.