Spanish soccer star Jenni Hermoso files lawsuit against Luis Rubiales over World Cup kiss

Jenni Hermoso filed a complaint on Wednesday against the suspended Spanish football coach Luis Rubiales, as the crisis over his decision to kiss her after the World Cup final deepens.

Prosecutors at the National Court of Madrid confirmed that Hermoso, a star of the Spanish women’s team, had filed a formal complaint earlier in the week.

In a statement sent to the ABC, the prosecutor’s office said the next step for lawyers was to file a further complaint with the court “as soon as possible”.

The complaint was filed after Rubiales, the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), grabbed Hermoso’s head and kissed her on the lips after the team beat England 1-0 to win the World Cup in Sydney last month.

Hermoso’s complaint is the first formal step toward possible criminal charges against Rubiales.

Last week, prosecutors confirmed that they had opened an investigation to determine whether the case constituted sexual assault. In Spain, this charge carries a prison sentence of one to four years.

Hermoso lives in Mexico and plays for the club CF Pachuca.

Rubiales claimed the kiss, which took place on stage in the middle of Stadium Australia, was consensual, but Hermoso says that is not the case.

The sport’s world governing body, FIFA, suspended Rubiales from his football-related duties last month.

Rubiales had initially received support from the RFEF after the incident, but it has since demanded his resignation.

However, the 46-year-old has so far refused to offer this.

The Spanish government is also trying to oust Rubiales using official channels.

Yesterday, the RFEF announced the dismissal of the women’s national team coach, Jorge Vilda, in what its interim president described as one of the federation’s “renewal” measures.

Vilda himself was in a difficult situation after 15 women refused to play under him last year.