Court of Arbitration for Sport rejects Rubiales' appeal against ban

The former head of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, who was found guilty of kissing player Jenni Hermoso without her consent, has failed in his appeal against his suspension from football, the Court of Arbitration for Sport said on Friday.

Rubiales was banned from all football-related activity for three years in the wake of the kiss on Hermoso as she went up to collect her Women's World Cup winner's medal in Sydney in 2023.

On Thursday, a court in Madrid found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault over the kiss and fined him 10,800 euros ($11,300), but cleared him of coercion for having allegedly pressured Hermoso to downplay the incident.

CAS said in a statement that it was dismissing the appeal because Rubiales' behaviour "constituted multiple and serious violations of the FIFA Disciplinary Code... and (it) saw no reason to consider the sanction to be disproportionate".

Rubiales will therefore remain banned from football until October 2026.

He announced following Thursday's verdict in the trial that he is appealing. Hermoso is also lodging an appeal.