- Luis Rubiales left the Spanish FA in the wake of ‘kissgate’
- Prosecutors are seeking a two-and-a-half-year term for a sexual assault charge
- Forest coach Steven Reid should get a touchline BAN for the rest of the season for his appalling tirade towards a referee – Listen to It’s All Kicking Off
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Former Newcastle winger Albert Luque reportedly told a friend of Jenni Hermoso he wished the Spain star ‘would be alone for the remainder of her life’ and ‘die alone’ in a series of angry texts over her accusations against Luis Rubiales.
The then-head of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rubiales sparked furore when he kissed Hermoso on the lips as Spain players prepared to lift the World Cup trophy after beating England in the final in Sydney last August.
The player and her teammates said the kiss was unwanted and demeaning, but Rubiales argued it was consensual and denied any wrongdoing but resigned in September, just days after Hermoso filed a formal complaint against him.
In a six-page indictment made public on Wednesday, Spanish prosecutors have announced they are seeking a two-and-a-half-year prison sentence for Rubiales.
Prosecutor Marta Durantez charged the former RFEF boss with one count of sexual assault and one of coercion for his alleged actions in the aftermath of the kiss – offences carrying jail terms of one year and 18 months, respectively.
The prosecutor also accused Luque, the current sporting director of Spain’s women team, of coercing Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual.
Luque scored one Premier League goal in two seasons at Newcastle, leaving the club in 2007.
The former Spain manager Jorge Vilda and Ruben Rivera, the RFEF head of marketing, were accused of the same offence.
All three have denied wrongdoing when they appeared before the court.
According to the indictment, Luque sent several WhatsApp messages to a friend of Hermoso while she was in Ibiza with her teammates celebrating their World Cup triumph.
In the texts, Luque accused her of being ‘a bad person’ and wished her ‘to be very alone in life’ and of ‘remaining alone for the rest of her life’.
According to the prosecutors, he also suggested that due to her age, the 33-year-old Hermoso had only two years left in her career.
Durantez said on Wednesday she wants Rubiales to pay Jenni Hermoso €100,000 (£85,000) in compensation if he is convicted at trial.
The prosecutors are also seeking to have Rubiales, Luque, Vilda and Rivera paying a combined €50,000 between them.
Madrid-based judge Francisco de Jorge paved the way for Rubiales to be tried earlier this year after recommending he be put in the dock.
Mr de Jorge said in his written ruling he believed there was enough evidence to proceed with a formal accusation against all three men for their ‘concerted action’, agreed with Rubiales, to try to ‘break Jennifer Hermoso’s will and get her to agree to record a video saying the kiss had been consensual’ as the controversy surrounding the former Spanish FA chief’s action exploded.
And he accused Albert Luque of turning up unannounced at a hotel Jennifer was in to convince her to participate in the video despite her rejecting Rivera’s requests to talk to him about backing Rubiales publicly.
If the court were to convict Rubiales and impose the sentencing sought by the prosecutor he would not necessarily have to go to prison.
Spain’s criminal code allows judges to ‘exceptionally’ suspend the execution of the sentence if – as in this case – none of the sentences imposed individually exceeds two years
