Luis Rubiales Handed Restraining Order After World Cup Kiss

Photo: IMAGO/Sports Press Photo/Noe Llamas

Rubiales resigned from his position as the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation last week, with Hermoso since filing an official complaint with the prosecutor’s office. In a bid to clear his name, Rubiales sat with Piers Morgan for an interview on his show, Piers Morgan Uncensored, in which he revealed his reasoning for stepping down. Rubiales explains that after speaking with his daughters and his father, he became aware that he “cannot continue” his work.

The Spanish women’s football team came out to say that they refused to play whilst Rubiales remained in his position, and several players in the men’s football team also vowed to not plan until Luis had officially resigned. 

Throughout the controversy, Rubiales has remained defiant on the kiss being consensual. The former athlete dismissed those who saw it as something other than “a kiss between two friends celebrating something”, he told COPE. 

Hermoso spoke out about the kiss after she expressed that she did not give consent. In her official statement, she says “I feel obligated to say that the words of Mr Luis Rubiales explaining the unfortunate event are categorically false and part of the manipulative culture he has created.” Hermoso goes on to say, “I want to make clear that not in any moment did the conversation occur that Mr. Luis Rubiales references, and much less that his kiss was consensual. In the same way, I want to reiterate how I did in that moment, that what happened was not enjoyable.” 

She continued on with, “..I feel the need to denounce this as I feel that no one, in no work space, sporting or social, should be a victim to this time of nonconsensual behaviour. I felt vulnerable and a victim of aggression, an impulsive act, sexist, out of place and without any type of consent from my part. In short, I wasn’t respected.” 

Rubiales has since been handed a restraining order, which bans him from contacting or going within 200m of Hermoso. He appeared in court for the first time since being accused of sexual assault and coercion, both charges of which he denies.