Embattled former Spain FA president Luis Rubiales was handed a restraining order against La Roja forward Jennifer Hermoso by a judge in the National Court in Madrid on Friday.
Judge Francisco de Jorge ordered Rubiales not to communicate with or go within 200 meters of the 33-year-old FIFA Women’s World Cup winner following the kissing incident that ensued during the award ceremony of the Mundial in Australia and New Zealand last month.
Although Hermoso’s lawyers initially asked for a restraining order of about 500 meters along with a non-communication order, the judge agreed but later settled for 300 meters less.
Rubiales, who recently announced his resignation from his role as Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) boss, kissed Hermoso on the lips after the final of the Women’s World Cup at Stadium Australia.
Despite his claims that the kiss was consensual and not ill-minded, the Pachuca forward said it was “against her will” and subsequently filed a complaint of sexual assault and coercion against him.
Rubiales, who appeared at the hour-long closed court session alongside his lawyer Olga Tubau, denied the two criminal offenses Hermoso’s prosecutors leveled against him.
However, Judge de Jorge, who requested to see the kiss “from all angles”, will make a decision if the case will proceed to trial. He revealed he would like to examine a series of videos from before, during, and after the ceremony, as well as the videos of the celebrations in the dressing room and on the team bus as they left the stadium in Sydney.
