GENEVA — Prosecuting Spanish soccer official Luis Rubiales for kissing a Women’s World Cup-winning participant on the lips with out her consent appears “completely illogical,” UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin has instructed.
Spanish state prosecutors are investigating Jenni Hermoso’s accusations towards Rubiales of sexual assault for the kiss on the Aug. 20 ultimate and coercion for then pressuring her to defend him.
A restraining order was issued Friday by a choose in Madrid that prohibits Rubiales from being inside 200 meters (656 toes) of Hermoso. Rubiales denied each accusations on the closed-door listening to.
Ceferin, who was a prison protection lawyer earlier than being elected UEFA president in 2016, stated in an interview revealed Sunday in his native Slovenia that “what Rubiales did was inappropriate and not understandable.”
“But when I read it was deemed as a felony – as a lawyer, that seems completely illogical,” Ceferin informed Slovenian media outlet N1.
Rubiales confronted a torrent of criticism from Spanish authorities and soccer circles. It was fueled partially by his personal defiance and refusal to resign as nationwide soccer federation president within the week after the incident, even after world soccer physique FIFA opened an investigation after which suspended him.
A sexual consent regulation handed in Spain final 12 months eradicated the distinction between “sexual harassment” and “sexual assault.” If Rubiales is distributed to trial, he may face a positive or a jail sentence of 1 to 4 years if discovered responsible of sexual assault.
Ceferin stated his recommendation in conversations with Rubiales had been to resign. On Sept. 10, three weeks after Spain’s girls turned world champion, Rubiales did step down as president of the federation and as a vp of UEFA.
One day later, UEFA revealed its first public assertion about Rubiales for the reason that ultimate during which it famous his resignation – and the “public discourse” about his actions – earlier than thanking him for his years of service to European soccer.
Ceferin’s interview with N1 was his second public touch upon the scandal up to now month. The first was 10 days after the ultimate, telling French each day L’Equipe the conduct was inappropriate and UEFA should do extra for girls gamers.
“You (journalists) brought this story to this level of importance, through the media,” Ceferin informed the N1 reporter.
Ceferin added there had been talks a couple of code of conduct to set clearer limits on acceptable habits in girls’s soccer. He additionally anticipated UEFA to create extra locations for girls officers within the group.
The UEFA president gave the interview Friday on the sidelines of a charity soccer sport he helped set up in Llubljana with retired greats enjoying to assist restoration work from floods in Slovenia final month.
UEFA beforehand donated 300,000 euros ($320,000) to flood reduction in Slovenia and the sport reportedly raised greater than 3 million euros ($3.2 million).
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