Spanish court imposes restraining order on ex-federation chief Rubiales

A Spanish court imposed a restraining order on Luis Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football federation.

Friday's ruling forbids Rubiales from going within 200 meters of Jenni Hermoso or communicating with her after he controversially kissed the player following the national team's Women's World Cup triumph in Australia on Aug. 20.

"We can continue to affirm that the kiss was not consented to, which is what we have said from the very beginning," Hermoso's lawyer, Carla Vall, said after the hearing, according to The Guardian's Sam Jones. "Thanks to the (images of the kiss), the entire world, the entire country, has been able to observe there was no type of consent. And we are going to prove that in the courtroom."

Rubiales maintained the kiss was consensual during questioning from Judge Francisco de Jorge, according to a statement from the prosecutor's office obtained by Reuters' Emma Pinedo and David Latona. The judge rejected the prosecution's request for Rubiales to report to the court every two weeks, Pinedo and Latona add.

The 46-year-old reportedly didn't talk to media waiting outside the High Court in Madrid when he left with his lawyer Olga Tubau.

Rubiales stepped down as Spanish federation president late Sunday after refusing to resign for three weeks. Between the unsolicited kiss and his eventual resignation, Rubiales' conduct and impassioned pledge to keep his role prompted a national and international outcry as leading Spanish politicians criticized his behavior, players went on strike, and FIFA banned him while it conducted an investigation.

Thirty-nine female players, including 21 Women's World Cup winners, demanded more changes to the federation Friday before they accept national team call-ups. In addition to Rubiales' exit, head coach Jorge Vilda, a long-time supporter of the former federation chief, was dismissed from his position with the women's team on Sept. 5.

"As we have informed the RFEF today, the changes put in place are not enough for the players to feel they are in a safe place where women are respected, where women's football is supported, and where we can give our maximum performance," the players said in a statement released by the Futpro union.

Montse Tome, who succeeded Vilda as head coach of the women's team, was due to announce her first squad later Friday for upcoming Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland. However, the news conference was postponed, according to BBC News.