Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spain’s football federation, has been convicted of sexual assault for forcibly kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent. The Spanish High Court has mandated that he pay a fine of €10,800 (£8,942).

However, Rubiales was acquitted of the charge of coercion, which involved allegations that he attempted to pressure Hermoso into publicly claiming that the kiss was consensual.

The controversial incident occurred during the medal ceremony after Spain’s women’s team triumphed over England to win the 2023 World Cup in Sydney, where Rubiales pulled Hermoso in for a kiss.

This incident sparked widespread outrage and prompted numerous calls for Rubiales’s resignation.

In its ruling, the court also imposed restrictions, preventing Rubiales from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters or communicating with her for a year.

Three of Rubiales’s ex-colleagues—Jorge Vilda, the head coach of the World Cup-winning team; Rubén Rivera, the former head of marketing for the Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF); and Albert Luque, a previous sporting director—were acquitted of charges related to alleged collusion.

Prosecutors had sought a prison sentence for Rubiales, who claimed in court that he was “absolutely sure” that Hermoso had agreed to the kiss. He characterized the act as an “affectionate gesture,” asserting it was spontaneous in nature.

In her testimony earlier this month, Hermoso firmly stated that she had not consented to the kiss and described the experience as having “tainted one of the happiest days of my life.”

The case, which drew the attention of millions of viewers worldwide, highlighted issues of sexual misconduct in sports and galvanized a movement within Spanish women’s football aimed at combating sexism and striving for equality with their male counterparts.

Rubiales ultimately resigned in September 2023, after weeks of defying calls for him to step down, following a suspension from FIFA and an ongoing investigation by Spanish authorities.