Disgraced former Spanish FA boss goes on TRIAL

‘Kissgate’ scandal former Spanish FA boss Luis Rubiales has arrived at court in Madrid for the start of his 11-day s3x assault and coercion trial

The 47-year-old dad-of-three arrived by taxi at the Audiencia Nacional court’s San Fernando de Henares HQ, a 40-minute drive north-east of the city centre, around 45 minutes before the scheduled 10am local time start.

He will not have to take the stand until next week over the ‘unwanted’ kiss he planted on Spain international Jenni Hermoso‘s lips after their August 2023 World Cup victory over England.

But he has made it clear he wants to be in court every day – and hear 34-year-old Hermoso’s evidence this morning which will mark the start of the trial after legal argument.

Public prosecutors want Rubiales jailed for two and a half years.

He faces a one-year jail term if convicted of sexual assault and a separate one-year six month prison sentence if he is found guilty of coercion in relation to his alleged attempts with the help of three aides to pressure Hermoso into declaring the kiss had been consensual.

The striker has flown to Madrid from Mexico where she plays her football for Liga MX BBVA side Tigres Femenil to give evidence.

Investigating judge Francisco de Jorge paved the way for Rubiales to be tried after recommending he be put in the dock in January last year.

He said his long-running probe had uncovered ‘solid evidence’ pointing to the potential illegality of the kiss.

Mr de Jorge, who quizzed the former football boss and his alleged victim separately in closed sessions at Spain’s centralised Audiencia Nacional court, said in a five-page ruling made public in January 2023: ‘The investigation has revealed the existence of solid evidence the kiss Luis Manuel Rubiales Bejar gave the player Jennifer Hermoso was not consensual and was a unilateral and surprise initiative on his part.

‘Whether there was no any erotic intention or it was a result of the state of euphoria and excitement experienced as a consequence of the extraordinary sporting triumph preceding it is something that should be evaluated in a public trial.’

He said he had concluded Hermoso had been left ‘bewildered and surprised’ by the ‘unexpected’ kiss and ‘didn’t have time to react’ after Rubiales grabbed her by the head with both hands and locked lips with her at the awards ceremony in front of millions of TV viewers watching live.

He also proposed former Spain’s World Cup women’s team manager Jorge Vilda, ex-men’s team director Albert Luque and former Spanish FA marketing director Ruben Rivera should face trial.

Mr de Jorge said in his written ruling he believed there was enough evidence to proceed with a formal accusation against all three men for their ‘concerted action’, agreed with Rubiales, to try to ‘break Jennifer Hermoso’s will and get her to agree to record a video saying the kiss had been consensual’ as the controversy surrounding the former Spanish FA chief’s action exploded.

The ‘Kissgate’ trial will take place without a jury. The three judges are expected to deliver their verdict at the end of this month at the earliest in writing and even if he is convicted and handed a prison sentence Rubiales could delay his incarceration by appealing.

In any case prison sentences of two years or less are normally suspended for first-time offenders.

As well as a prison sentence public prosecutors also said in their pre-trial indictment they wanted Rubiales to pay Hermoso £85,000 in compensation if he is convicted.

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