MADRID: Prosecutors on Thursday requested that the trial of Spain's ex-football federation chief Luis Rubiales for his forced kiss on Jenni Hermoso be annulled and re-run, notably questioning the judge's impartiality.
Spain's top criminal court last month found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault for the kiss and fined him 10,800 euros ($11,670), sparing him jail in a sentence considered lenient by feminist groups.
The sentence fell well short of the demands of prosecutors, who had sought a total of two and a half years in prison for Rubiales, one year for sexual assault and 18 months for allegedly coercing Hermoso to downplay the kiss.
Hermoso is appealing the sentence, which also cleared Rubiales and three other defendants of coercion, including former women's team coach Jorge Vilda and two senior ex-federation officials.
The prosecutors said in a statement that they were appealing the sentence and requested the trial be declared null and void and "held again by another judge not tainted, to say the least, by an appearance of bias".
They said judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto "unduly" prevented the prosecutor in the trial, Marta Durantez, from posing certain questions and cited the "arbitrariness" of his sentence.
The statement added that the judge "made no mention in the sentence" of key evidence brought up during the trial, "as if such evidence had not existed".
Fernandez-Prieto attracted attention during the trial for his brusque attitude, frequently interrupting and scolding participants.
Rubiales was also banned from going within a 200-metre radius of Hermoso and from communicating with her for a period of one year. He denied the charges and is also appealing the ruling.
It was not immediately clear when the courts would decide on the various appeals.
The former federation chief sparked worldwide uproar when he kissed Hermoso on the lips as she went up to receive her winner's medal after Spain beat England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final in Sydney.
The backlash unleashed by the kiss forced Rubiales to relinquish his post in disgrace that year, saw him banned from all football-related activity for three years and plunged the federation into a prolonged period of turmoil.
The trial captivated Spain and made Hermoso, the all-time top scorer of the national women's team, an icon of the fight against sexism and macho culture in sport.
Hermoso said after the verdict that the trial would "create an important precedent in a social environment where there is still much to be done".
Prosecutors demand Rubiales forced kiss trial be re-run
https://arab.news/6qqec
Prosecutors demand Rubiales forced kiss trial be re-run
- They said judge Jose Manuel Fernandez-Prieto "unduly" prevented the prosecutor in the trial, Marta Durantez, from posing certain questions
- The judge "made no mention in the sentence" of key evidence brought up during the trial
James Harden, Clippers force Game 7 vs. Nuggets
- James Harden recorded 28 points, eight assists and six rebounds for the Los Angeles Clippers
- Kawhi Leonard added 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Norman Powell scored 24 points
Kawhi Leonard added 27 points, 10 rebounds and five assists and Norman Powell scored 24 points as the Clippers evened the Western Conference matchup at three games apiece. Ivica Zubac had 10 points, six rebounds and four blocked shots for fifth-seeded Los Angeles.
Nikola Jokic registered 25 points, eight assists, seven rebounds and three steals for fourth-seeded Denver. Jamal Murray had 21 points, eight assists and eight rebounds and Aaron Gordon scored 19 points.
Game 7 is Saturday night in Denver.
The Nuggets trailed by 15 midway through the fourth quarter before getting back into the game with an 11-2 run.
A 3-pointer by Gordon and a fastbreak layup by Murray brought Denver within 107-101 with 2:43 remaining.
But then Russell Westbrook missed a layup 30 seconds later. Powell made the Nuggets pay with a 3-pointer to make it a nine-point advantage with 1:47 to play.
Gordon’s tip-in and two free throws by Christian Braun brought Denver within 110-105 with 58.5 seconds remaining.
Denver had a chance to move within three, but Zubac blocked Jokic’s close-range shot with 24.4 seconds left. Leonard split two free throws with 18.8 seconds remaining for a six-point lead that held up as Murray and Gordon each missed 3-pointers on the Nuggets’ final possession.
Westbrook had 14 points, 10 rebounds and six assists and Braun also scored 14 points for Denver, which connected on 52.4 percent of its shots, including 11 of 27 from behind the arc.
The Clippers shot 50 percent from the field and made 12 of 39 from 3-point range.
Denver trailed 68-66 after Murray’s basket with 8:11 left in the third quarter before going 4:43 without a point.
The Clippers took advantage with 12 consecutive points. Powell had half of them, including a layup to cap the spurt to make it 80-66.
Braun drained a 3-pointer with 3:28 to go in the quarter to end the Nuggets’ drought.
Denver got back within 90-79 on Jokic’s 3-pointer with 39 seconds left in the quarter.
The Clippers led 105-90 on a 3-pointer by Bogdan Bogdanovic with 5:57 left, before Denver made its frantic charge.
Harden scored 21 points in the first half as Los Angeles led 58-57 at the break. Jokic had 20 in the half for the Nuggets.
Canelo aims to land knockout blow against Scull in Saudi debut
- Alvarez, 34, brings a record of 62-2-2 with 39 knockouts into what promises to be a high-stakes clash
RIYADH: Mexican boxing legend Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will be looking to unify the super middleweight titles this weekend, when he squares off with IBF champion William Scull in Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh.
Alvarez, 34, brings a record of 62-2-2 with 39 knockouts into what promises to be a high-stakes clash, as he continues his tradition of fighting during the Cinco de Mayo weekend.
Canelo is coming off a punishing unanimous decision over Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas in September.
Ahead of that bout, Alvarez was stripped of his International Boxing Federation belt when he opted to box Berlanga rather than Scull — the IBF’s mandatory challenger.
This weekend’s contest will mark the first time the Mexican champion will fight outside of North America during his nearly 20-year professional career.
The boxers are set to enter the ring in the early hours of Sunday morning in Riyadh to coincide with Saturday evening festivities over the Cinco de Mayo weekend back in North America.
“Believe me. This is nothing new for me. But for him, it’s gonna be something different, for sure,” said Alvarez during a press conference in Riyadh on Thursday.
The betting lines show that Scull remains a massive underdog going into the weekend’s fight.
With the contest flying under the radar for casual fans, many see the bout as a warm-up match ahead of a widely anticipated super fight between Alvarez and Terence Crawford later this year, which is rumored to be in the final stages of negotiations.
But all of that hinges on Canelo winning in Riyadh this weekend.
“No one could be a bigger spoiler than William Scull,” said veteran combat sports journalist Ariel Helwani during a podcast this week.
“If William Scull wins somehow, someway on Saturday night, he ruins all of those plans.”
In the lead up to the fight, Scull said he remained relaxed and confident, as he brushed away concerns that an early-morning start time could affect his performance.
“This is a fight and I’m ready to do it any time,” Scull told AFP earlier this week.
“Canelo is a great boxer. It’s a tough fight but it’s another man. I’m looking to take what is mine as well,” the undefeated 32-year-old Cuban added.
On the undercard, French super middleweight Bruno Surace will be looking to silence any remaining doubters during his rematch against Jaime Munguia, after scoring a devastating sixth-round knockout in Tijuana in December.
The win earned the Marseille native the prestigious Ring magazine’s “Upset of the Year” award.
Man Utd seize control of Europa League semi against 10-man Bilbao
BILBAO: Bruno Fernandes struck twice as Manchester United put one foot in the Europa League final with a clinical away performance to beat 10-man Athletic Bilbao 3-0 on Thursday.
The fervent home fans were enraged when Athletic defender Daniel Vivian was sent off for pulling back Rasmus Hojlund and Fernandes slotted home the resulting penalty, after Casemiro had opened the scoring against the run of play in the semifinal first leg.
Fernandes rolled in a third before half-time as Ruben Amorim’s side moved a step closer to the final, to be held at Athletic’s San Mames stadium.
The hosts have been dreaming of winning a first European trophy on their own soil but their hopes were demolished by United’s professional display in the north of Spain — and Athletic’s supporters argued, the refereeing.
Languishing in 14th in the Premier League, Champions League qualification for United is only possible with a Europa League triumph, as is access to the £100 million ($133 million) honeypot it entails.
Despite regularly crumbling under pressure this season, the Red Devils — who produced a stunning comeback against Lyon in the quarter-finals — first survived and then thrived in a hostile environment.
With May 1 a bank holiday in Spain the streets of Bilbao were filled with red-and-white striped shirts from the morning onwards, with thousands of fans turning up at their team’s hotel to see the Athletic bus set off for the stadium.
The San Mames was rocking, with fans raising red and white cards around the stadium ahead of the game to welcome the players, all of them born or raised in the Basque country, as per the club’s century-long policy.
“This is not the theater of dreams, this is The Cathedral of football,” it read on the back, a reference to the stadium’s nickname.
Alejandro Garnacho’s early strike gave the hosts a scare but the forward was offside.
Beyond that the early stages of the match for United were about gritting their teeth and holding off the Basque side and their raucous supporters.
Alex Berenguer forced a smart low save from Manchester United goalkeeper Andre Onana, and Inaki Williams headed narrowly over.
Victor Lindelof made a vital block to thwart Berenguer after Nico Williams fed his brother Inaki, who was given too much space on the right wing.
The hosts were ascendant and when former Real Madrid midfielder Casemiro opened the scoring for United it came as a shock.
Just as much of a surprise was the way United created the goal, with center-back Harry Maguire dribbling down the right flank as Mikel Jaureguizar floundered in his wake.
The defender fizzed a cross into the area which Manuel Ugarte flicked on to the back host for Casemiro to nod home from close range.
It seemed like a smash-and-grab but soon United had a second, when Vivian was penalized for pulling back Hojlund as he tried to connect with a cross.
It was a key moment. The defender was sent off to add insult to injury, as Athletic fans howled in anger.
Fernandes rolled the penalty into the bottom right corner, sending Julen Agirrezabala the wrong way.
Athletic coach Ernesto Valverde made a double substitution, trying to stem the bleeding, but his team shipped a third before half-time.
Ugarte’s clever backheel played Fernandes through on goal and he stroked home with ease.
Noussair Mazraoui crashed a shot off the crossbar from the edge of the box as United almost grabbed a fourth before the break.
Norwegian referee Espen Eskas and his colleagues were barracked by the home fans, seeing their aspirations to glory evaporate before their eyes.
They were further enraged, waving the white cards from the pre-match tifo to show their disgust, when Maroan Sannadi tumbled under pressure from Maguire as he ran toward goal but no foul was awarded.
United largely controlled the game in the second half, with Casemiro and Fernandes making life hard for the 10-man hosts, but they could not add a fourth despite probing.
The second leg takes place next Thursday at Old Trafford, ahead of the final on May 21 against Tottenham or Bodo/Glimt.
Chilean soccer team Colo Colo to challenge ban imposed after two teenage fans were killed
- “It is a hard penalty for Colo Colo and we will appeal,” team president Edmundo Valladares said
- “We hope that we can overturn it, at least in part“
SANTIAGO: Chilean club Colo Colo said on Thursday they will appeal a ruling that they must play five home matches in continental competition without fans and that their supporters will be banned from the next five away matches.
South American soccer’s governing body CONMEBOL confirmed the bans Wednesday after two teenage fans were killed in a crush ahead of a Copa Libertadores match last month.
“It is a hard penalty for Colo Colo and we will appeal,” team president Edmundo Valladares said. “We hope that we can overturn it, at least in part.”
Two fans died before the start of a Copa Libertadores match between Colo Colo and Fortaleza of Brazil near Santiago’s Estadio Monumental on April 10. According to authorities, a group of fans attempted to force their way into the stadium and tore down one of the venue’s protective fences. The victims were reportedly trapped beneath them.
“Let’s also hope that this experience serves to ... make fans more aware,” Valladares added.
CONMEBOL also ruled that Fortaleza won the match 3-0 and Colo Colo must pay a fine of $80,000.
“The penalty is hard — it hurts us on the field if we lose 3-0 and the economic side also hits us. But we will present the best appeal possible,” Valladares said.
Colo Colo, the winningest club in Chile with 32 league championships, is last in its group in Copa Libertadores after the first three rounds.
Verstappen awaits birth of first child, misses Miami media day
- The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet
- The Dutch driver is third overall after five races
MIAMI: Four times Formula One world champion Max Verstappen was withdrawn from scheduled media commitments at the Miami Grand Prix on Thursday as the Red Bull driver awaited the birth of his first child.
The 27-year-old’s partner is Kelly Piquet, daughter of Brazil’s triple world champion Nelson, who already has a daughter from a previous relationship with Russian former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat.
A team spokesman said all was well and Verstappen “will attend track tomorrow for the race weekend.”
Friday has a sole practice session ahead of sprint qualifying, with a 100km sprint race followed by regular qualifying on Saturday before Sunday’s race around the Hard Rock Stadium.
The Dutch driver is third overall after five races, 12 points behind McLaren’s Australian championship leader Oscar Piastri.
