The Court of Arbitration for Sport has rejected Luis Rubiales’ appeal against a three-year ban from football following his non-consensual kiss of player Jenni Hermoso. A Madrid court found him guilty of sexual assault and fined him, while CAS upheld the ban due to serious breaches of FIFA’s Disciplinary Code. Rubiales is expected to appeal the ruling, alongside Hermoso.

The Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) has denied Luis Rubiales’ appeal against his ban from all football-related activities due to his misconduct. Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football federation, was suspended for three years following his non-consensual kiss with player Jenni Hermoso during the award ceremony of the Women’s World Cup in Sydney in 2023.

On the previous day, a Madrid court ruled Rubiales guilty of sexual assault and imposed a fine of €10,800 ($11,300), but he was acquitted of coercion charges related to allegedly influencing Hermoso to minimize the incident. CAS justified its decision by noting that Rubiales’ actions represented serious breaches of the FIFA Disciplinary Code without any justification for a lesser penalty.

Consequently, Rubiales will remain banned from football until October 2026. Following the verdict, he announced intentions to appeal, and Hermoso is also planning to contest the court’s findings.

Original Source: www.france24.com