A judge has banned Spain’s ex-football chief Luis Rubiales from going within 200m of footballer Jenni Hermoso.
Prosecutors asked for the restraining order as the national court in Madrid considered a criminal complaint of sexual assault and coercion.
Appearing in court for the first time, Rubiales denied sexually assaulting Hermoso by kissing her on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup win.
Hermoso’s lawyer was adamant it was a “non-consensual kiss”.
Rubiales resigned his position as head of the football federation (RFEF) earlier this week and appeared in a closed court session on Friday to deny two criminal offences.
Investigating judge Francisco de Jorge was asked to bar him from approaching within 500m (1,600ft) of Jenni Hermoso or from communicating with her.
He later agreed to the order but placed restrictions at 200m (650ft), adding that Rubiales should not contact the player during the investigation.
A further request that he should appear before the judge every 15 days was rejected.
Spain won the Women’s World Cup in Australia on 20 August, but the team’s success has been overshadowed ever since by Rubiales’s actions during the celebrations after the final whistle. (BBC sport)
