Spain’s sports legal panel opens case against Luis Rubiales over World Cup kiss: reports

Spain’s Sport Administrative Tribunal (TAD) opened a case against football boss Luis Rubiales on Friday for “serious misconduct” after he kissed Jenni Hermoso following Spain’s victory in the women’s World Cup, daily El Pais reported.

However, the TAD did not decide to open a case for “very serious misconduct”, which means the National Sports Council (CSD) will not be able to suspend Rubiales as head of the country’s football federation for the duration of the investigation.

Also read | Rubiales-Hermoso controversy timeline: How did the scandal around the RFEF chief unfold?

Rubiales sparked a storm when he kissed player Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s win in Sydney.

World football governing body FIFA has already suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities for three months, but the CSD said it would move ahead with its own case regardless.

Rubiales has refused to resign and has said the kiss was consensual. Hermoso has said she did not consent to the kiss and felt “vulnerable and the victim of an aggression”.