FIFA announced on Monday that it had imposed a three-year ban on former Spanish football chief Luis Rubiales for his forced kiss on World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.
In a statement, FIFA declared, “The FIFA disciplinary committee has banned Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish Football Association (RFEF), from all football-related activities at national and international levels for three years.”
FIFA notified Rubiales of this decision, and he has a 10-day window to request a “motivated decision,” which would be published on FIFA’s legal website if requested. The statement also noted that the decision remains subject to a possible appeal before the FIFA Appeal Committee.
FIFA emphasized its unwavering commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all individuals and ensuring that basic standards of conduct are maintained.
What happened
The 46-year-old kissed Hermoso on the lips after she collected her winner’s medal following Spain’s victory over England in Sydney in August.
She later confirmed that she had not consented to it, sparking a chain of events that included a mass walkout from Spanish players and backroom staff.
The governing body of world football had initially provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days following the unsolicited kiss during the medal ceremony after Spain’s Women’s World Cup victory in Sydney in August.
Hermoso expressed her feelings of vulnerability and being a victim of assault in response to the incident.
She described the kiss as “an impulsive, macho act, out of place and with no type of consent on my part” in a statement on social media.
Rubiales, who had maintained that the kiss was consensual, subsequently resigned as the head of the Spanish football federation in September.