Spain's ex-soccer president to stand trial for sexual assault after kissing female player at World Cup celebration

Former Spanish soccer President Luis Rubiales will go on trial for his kiss of a female soccer player after the country won the Women's World Cup, which prosecutors have alleged was a sexual assault.

Rubiales appeared to kiss star player Jenni Hermoso on the lips, which sparked outrage among her teammates. Hermoso later filed a criminal complaint.

State prosecutors are reportedly seeking a fine or imprisonment of up to a year, Yahoo reported, which would fall under the jurisdiction of a new law that reportedly eliminates any discrepancies between sexual harassment and sexual assault. As such, the charge against Rubiales is sexual assault, along with an alleged attempt to coerce the victim into publicly supporting him.

The judge reportedly described evidence that Rubiales pressured Hermoso to appear in a video in the aftermath, but she refused. Other Spanish soccer officials allegedly applied additional pressure to the player as well.

Rubiales denies any criminal wrongdoing, the Sun reported, and previously claimed that he was a victim of a campaign led by "false feminists."

However, the day immediately following the Women's World Cup, Hermoso had downplayed the incident when she called the kiss "mutual" and said she had maintained a great relationship with Rubiales.

"It was a mutual, totally spontaneous gesture because of the huge joy of winning a World Cup," she said, according to Fox News. "The 'presi' and I have a great relationship. His behavior with us has been a '10.' It was a natural gesture, of affection and gratitude. ... We've won a World Cup, and we won't get away from what's important."

"There are idiots everywhere," Rubiales reportedly stated. "When two people have a gesture of affection, that isn't important, we can't pay attention to idiocy. We're [world] champions and I'll focus on that."

Further complaints rolled in as the soccer president was retroactively criticized for a crotch grab he made on-camera earlier in the Women's World Cup. There was also outcry according to the Daily Mail over the executive carrying around one of the female players during the championship celebration.

It took just a few days after the celebration for the entire women's team to refuse to play again until the president stepped down.

"No woman should feel the need to respond to the forceful images that the whole world has seen and of course, they should not be involved in non-consensual attitudes," the team said as part of a statement.

After initially refusing to resign, less than three weeks later Rubiales decided to step down following a 90-day ban from soccer's international governing bod,y FIFA.

"After the suspension from FIFA, plus all the other proceedings opened against me, it’s evident that I cannot go back to my position," Rubiales said in a letter.

Rubiales has since seen his appeal of a new, three-year FIFA ban rejected, with the appeals committee saying they were "comfortably satisfied that Mr Rubiales behaved in a manner contrary to the principles" of the organization.

The kiss was declared as "unconsented and carried out unilaterally and in a surprising fashion" by a Spanish High Court.

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