Rubiales was forbidden to go near Hermoso
The ban was announced by Spanish Supreme Court judge Francisco De Jorge on September 15.
Previously, prosecutors even suggested the scope of this ban was up to 500m. But Judge De Jorge disagreed. He also rejected the prosecution's proposal to freeze Rubiales' assets and require the former RFEF president to appear in court every 15 days.
The incident arose when Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips after the Women's World Cup final in August. The former President of the Spanish Football Federation said that Hermoso agreed to the kiss, but the female player denied it many times. Last week, prosecutors charged Rubiales with sexual assault and coercion. According to Hermoso, Rubiales pressured her to speak up to defend him right after the scandal broke out.
In response to the judge's questions during the hearing, Rubiales denied both charges, the prosecutor's office said. Neither the former RFEF President nor his lawyer, Olga Tubau, gave interviews. Meanwhile, Hermoso's lawyer, Carla Vall i Duran, said: "Thanks to the image of the kiss, the whole world can see that there was no consent. We will prove it in the courtroom." .
Judge De Jorge is conducting a preliminary investigation into the allegations against Rubiales, and will then decide whether the case should go to trial. Under a law passed in Spain last year, Rubiales could face a fine, or imprisonment of one to four years, if convicted of sexual assault. The new law also eliminates the distinction between "sexual harassment" and "sexual assault", and penalizes all non-consensual sexual conduct.
Hermoso provided testimony to prosecutors when she accused Rubiales of sexual assault last week, before she left Spain to Mexico to join the Pachuca club. After the World Cup final, Rubiales once suggested that the kiss was consensual and like "a kiss I might give to one of my daughters". In response, Hermoso affirmed that the former President lied. "I feel vulnerable and a victim of an attack," the female player added.
The pressure from public opinion was so great that Rubiales had to announce his resignation on September 10. Previously, the world football federation FIFA suspended all of his positions for 90 days, pending the results of the investigation.
The wave of outrage about Rubiales is still rising. On September 15, 39 Spanish female players, including 21 of the 23 World Cup winners, raised concerns about safety. They asked the RFEF to make further changes, but did not specify whether they would continue to boycott playing for the team or not.
The new coach of the Spanish women's team, Montserrat Tome, had to postpone announcing the squad after an announcement from the players. She may have to decide between calling up the rebel players and choosing a completely different team for two upcoming Nations League matches, against Sweden and Switzerland on September 22 and 26. Previously, Sweden also threatened to boycott the match if Rubiales did not resign.
Spain won the Women's World Cup for the first time after beating England 1-0 in the final. Along with Aitana Bonmati and Alba Redondo, Hermoso is one of the three players who scored the most goals for Spain at the tournament, with three goals. She also won the Silver Ball, while Bonmati won the Golden Ball.
