Court of Arbitration for Sport dismisses Rubiales appeal against FIFA ban

Luis Rubiales’ appeal against a three-year FIFA ban from football has been dismissed.

Football’s world governing body suspended the former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) from any football-related activity for three years in October 2023.

It followed a kiss on the lips of Spain player Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony after the team won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final.

On Friday the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) dismissed Rubiales’ appeal, external on the grounds that “the sanction imposed is reasonable and proportional”.

CAS agreed with FIFA’s appeals committee – who upheld the suspension in January 2024 – that Rubiales “behaved in a manner contrary to the principles of the FIFA Disciplinary Code”.

On Thursday, Spain’s High Court convicted Rubiales of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso, 34, without consent and fined him 10,800 euros (£8,942).

Rubiales, 47, was also banned from going within a 200m radius of the Tigres player – and from communicating with her for one year.

He was acquitted of coercion, for allegedly trying to pressure Hermoso into saying publicly that the kiss was consensual.

Rubiales resigned from his position as the RFEF president but has always maintained the kiss was consensual.

Both Rubiales and Hermoso intend to appeal the verdict. (BBC)