Former Spanish football chief loses World Cup kiss appeal

Luis Rubiales, the former president of Spains football federation, has lost an appeal against his sexual assault conviction.

Rubiales was fined €10,800 (£9,206) in February for kissing captain Jenni Hermoso without her consent after Spains womens team won the 2023 World Cup.

A Spanish appeals court upheld the fine, and also dismissed a separate appeal from prosecutors, who had sought a retrial and pushed for a jail sentence.

The incident - in which Rubiales grabbed Hermosos head and kissed her on the lips - triggered protests and calls for his resignation.

He denied the sexual assault charge, describing the kiss as an "act of affection" and "completely spontaneous".

On Wednesday, the Audencia Nacional said it did not consider the kiss consensual, and said Hermoso had objected to it from the outset.

It found that Rubiales "restrained himself" when interacting with other players and "could also have done so, without too much effort, with the captain".

At the original trial, Hermoso said she had not given permission for the kiss, which she felt "disrespected" her and "stained one of the happiest days" of her life.

The court upheld the sentence handed down in February, which included a ban on Rubiales going within a 200m radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for one year.

The court also upheld the decision not to convict Rubiales of coercion.

Prosecutors had alleged he pressured Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual, which Rubiales denied.

Three other former Spanish football federation employees - coach Jorge Vila, marketing executive Rubén Rivera and sporting director Albert Luque - were previously cleared of coercion, a decision which was upheld on Wednesday.