Former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales arrived at a court in Madrid on Monday to testify as a witness in a corruption probe.
The disgraced former president resigned from his post in September 2023 amid the kiss-gate scandal, in which he allegedly kissed World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso without consent.
With La Roja celebrating a maiden Women’s World Cup win, Rubiales was on the pitch congratulating the side, when cameras appeared to catch the former president kissing Hermoso.
The resulting scandal became one of the biggest stories in football, and after Rubiales eventually stood down before receiving a three-year ban from football from FIFA, and he is now set to face trial, with prosecutors pushing for a two-and-a-half-year sentence.
However the 46-year-old has been under investigation since June 2022 over improper management when the Spanish Super Cup was relocated to Saudi Arabia in a deal worth a reported €120million (around £107m).
An agreement was made with former FC Barcelona player Gerard Pique‘s Kosmos firm to move the tournament.
A Spanish court had ordered the RFEF headquarters and other properties linked to a probe into alleged corruption, improper management and money laundering during his tenure as president of the RFEF. He denies any wrongdoing.
A source at the RFEF told Reuters that Rubiales’ home had also been searched. Images showed Civil Guard officers emerging from the Granada city centre apartment with a cardboard box labelled ‘Luis Rubiales’ along with several other bags.
Police had also searched a football stadium in Seville. Seven people have been arrested so far.
Rubiales was arrested on his return to Spain from the Dominican Republic, earlier this month, but was released after being detained, however he still faces a potential penalty for his actions last August.
Rubiales will face trial for allegedly kissing Hermoso last summer, as well as for subsequent coercion alongside former Spain women’s team manager Jorge Vilda.
Last month, public prosecutors involved in the case said they were seeking a two-and-a-half year prison sentence for Rubiales, who has continued to claim his innocence over the event.
The outlet reports that the third section of the Criminal Court has taken the decision by rejecting the appeals against the order of the judge in the case, Francisco de Jorge, which were filed by Rubiales and Vilda, as well as former director Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera, who worked in marketing.
The Chamber is said to have considered that the details of the appeal contain evidence that fit the description of a crime against sexual freedom and another of coercion.
The court reportedly indicated that the legal consequences ‘of the kiss and consent cannot be assessed at this time’.
Public prosecutors had said, in an indictment sent to the judge, that they wanted Rubiales jailed for a year if he was found guilty at trial of sexual assault and another 18 months for coercion linked to his alleged attempts to get the footballer to speak out in his defence following his World Cup kiss.
They are also reportedly asking for Rubiales to be disqualified from working in sports during the sentence and be banned of communication with Hermoso or communicating with her for four years.
Rubiales has claimed innocence ever since the event, opening up in an interview with broadcaster La Sexta at the start of the month.
‘I have a clear conscience. Things have become crazy. A small thing has gone on to devour a person,’ he said.
‘I wanted to be calm and get out of the spotlight. False feminism? What I said is said.
‘I defend egalitarianism. Feminism advocates supporting women to achieve equality.’
He added: ‘For me there is no crime. It’s my opinion. I asked her the question [over the kiss] and she said: “Okay”.
‘You can’t question Hermoso. I can. Is it because I’m a man? They want to curtail freedom of thought.’
In a subsequent clip he said of his infamous kiss: ‘I cannot understand that anyone could think this was a sexual assault’ before rejecting any coercion by saying: ‘I only spoke 10 or 15 seconds with Miss Hermoso.’
