Rubiales says victim of ‘far-left’ conspiracy around Hermoso forced kiss

Former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales, convicted of sexual assault against footballer Jenni Hermoso, insisted late Tuesday he was innocent and the victim of a “far-left” conspiracy.

Rubiales, fined 10,800 euros ($12,500) for forcibly kissing the player during the medal ceremony after Spain won the Women’s World Cup in Sydney in August 2023, told television show El Chiringuito the kiss was “consensual”.

“As president, I should have behaved more coolly, more institutionally. But no, I do not apologise to Jenni Hermoso because I asked her if I could kiss her, and she said ‘okay,'” said Rubiales.

Rubiales’ lawyer told AFP in June he would appeal the conviction at the Supreme Court after a Spanish appeals court upheld his fine.

Rubiales, 48, has written a book to highlight the “public assassination” he claims to have been a victim of, titled “Killing Rubiales”.

The former RFEF chief claimed he was the victim of a “sudden far-left movement” that created a “parallel reality” to capitalise on this case, saying the focus on his actions was a “smokescreen” created to protect Spanish prime minister Pedro Sanchez.

Spain’s penal code dictates a non-consensual kiss can be considered sexual assault, a legal category encompassing all types of sexual violence.

The kiss sparked a global uproar forcing Rubiales to relinquish his post, it saw him banned from all football-related activity for three years and plunged the federation into a prolonged period of turmoil.

The affair made Hermoso, the all-time top scorer for the national women’s team, an icon of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sport.

Rubiales is also embroiled in an investigation into alleged financial irregularities totalling millions of euros related to the Spanish Super Cup’s relocation to Saudi Arabia, which involved a company owned by former Barcelona defender Gerard Pique.

“I’ve never taken commissions, on the contrary, I’ve prevented any from happening at the RFEF,” said Rubiales.