Former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, had asked that the opened file be archived and rejected. The Sports Administrative Court recommended a three-year disqualification. The moment involved a kiss given to Jenni Hermoso and the aftermath in the wake of the 2023 Women’s World Cup final.
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The 18-page claim document, accessible to Europa Press, outlines the statements Rubiales delivered before the TAB after two sanction proposals of one year and six months each. The document evaluates alleged violations of the Sports Code and sports discipline rules as serious, detailing the basis for the actions.
Rubiales’ defense argues that these sanctions are not compatible with the rest of the proposed decision and appear disconnected, arbitrary, and unfair. The defense contends that the sanction should be a warning, a fine, or a disqualification lasting three or six months instead.
In the letter, the former head of the RFEF expressed regret that the TAD had asked for a report to the CSD, even though he believed the facts to be notorious and public, consisting of nothing more than a compilation of press articles. He notes the influence of social networks and media pressure on the case, acknowledging their permeability and impact from political forces.
In this context, Rubiales announced that his position would be clear if sanctions were based on arbitrariness, permeability, and a perceived lack of legal objectivity. He warned of pursuing criminal avenues if sanctions were imposed for these events, stating that he would take that step if needed. He underscored that both the initial agreement and the proposed decision stress that the consensual or non-consensual nature of the kiss lies outside the sports disciplinary arena. He argued that terms like forced kiss, imposed, unwanted, or stolen cannot be used to interpret the incident.
He argued that the kiss on the lips, though brief, was consensual, and anyone disputing that claim was not presenting the truth. He cited visual evidence, behavioral signals, and spontaneous statements from both parties after the event as supporting his account, and he noted that his memory differed from the version presented by Hermoso in her testimony before the panel.
Rubiales described a climate of sensationalism around the case, pointing to what he called a misused narrative and a press environment that amplified the drama. He attributed the scrutiny to a mix of long-standing political tensions and media strategies, suggesting that certain political factions found the case useful for their aims.
The “Strange Coincidence” of 155
In dossier issue 155, Rubiales framed a perceived parallel with a constitutional article used when Catalonia declared independence in 2017. He argued that no direct comparison should be drawn, but he asserted that Spain operates under the rule of law and warned against distorting legal interpretations to justify what he viewed as an unfair and disproportionate sanction.
He stressed that Hermoso’s consent was part of his narrative and criticized how the versions of events changed over time when investigators sought to exonerate others or dramatize the case for political or media purposes. He claimed that some people moved from private to public discourse, while others remained silent, ostensibly for safety. He accused others of altering their statements to weaponize the incident for criminalization of a celebratory moment, insisting that his account remains the truth as he sees it.
The Gesture Towards Vilda
Rubiales criticized a leaked content that described a proposed three-year sanction as very serious, noting that the press statements from some TAB members mentioned a public parallel trial and a sense of total helplessness. He recalled that similar on-field actions, such as grabbing, had previously drawn only minor penalties, and argued that the current case had escalated beyond prior disciplinary measures.
He described the gesture of touching the genitals in the box as rude and inappropriate, but framed it as directed toward the national coach Jorge Vilda. The reports suggested that the allegations included coercive pressures and manipulations used by some actors to gain advantage, positioning the case within a broader political and media landscape that he believed exploited the moment for profit and revenge under a false sense of entitlement.
The article reflected his stance that neither the gesture nor the kiss against Hermoso harmed sporting honor or etiquette. He suggested that a warning might be sufficient in some contexts, while maintaining that the act did not, in his view, violate existing laws in a way that warranted harsher sanctions.
Rubiales admitted that he probably should have avoided the kiss, but he insisted it was a spontaneous expression of shared joy following Spain’s historic victory in the first women’s World Cup. He argued that the incident did not impact sporting outcomes and should not be sanctionable under current law.
Finally, Rubiales defended his broader work in promoting gender equality in football. He highlighted efforts to professionalize the women’s technical staff, reach a historic agreement on player bonuses, and invest in the women’s league to strengthen its professional framework and budget, upholding strides toward parity in the sport.