MADRID: Luis Rubiales will appear in a Madrid court on Friday over his kiss of Spain forward Jenni Hermoso.

Hermoso filed a legal complaint last week after the Spanish football federation president kissing her on the lips following her country’s Women’s World Cup final win on August 20.

Rubiales has been summoned by a high court judge to respond to accusations of sexual assault and coercion.

Hermoso, 33, said the kiss was not consensual, while Rubiales has claimed it was “mutual” and “consensual” and again defended his actions in an interview with Piers Morgan, which was aired on Tuesday on Talk TV.

Rubiales quit as Spanish FA president on Sunday as a result of the controversy, and has also resigned from his position as vice-president of Uefa’s executive committee.

Hermoso’s complaint was one of sexual assault but last week prosecutor Marta Durantez Gil added an allegation of coercion after the forward revealed that some of her relatives had been pressured by Rubiales and his “professional entourage” to say she “justified and approved what happened”.

On Monday, Judge Francisco de Jorge of the National Court accepted the complaint and assigned a magistrate to investigate the case.

After completing an investigation, the magistrate will then either make a recommendation for the case to go to trial or be dismissed.

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