Former Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales has seen his appeal against his three-year suspension from football rejected by the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS).
The news comes a day after Rubiales was found guilty of sexually assaulting forward Jenni Hermoso via a kiss after Spain's Women's World Cup final victory in August 2023 - but he avoided a jail sentence.
Before he stood trial, the former Spanish FA chief was banned from all football-related activities for three years, but after appeal, CAS felt the sanction was "reasonable and proportional".
A statement from CAS read: "The CAS panel determined that the behaviour of Mr Rubiales at the final of the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023 constituted multiple and serious violations of the FIFA disciplinary code (art.13) and saw no reason to consider the sanction to be disproportionate.
"The appeal by Mr Rubiales is dismissed and the contested decision is maintained."
The appeal went to CAS after FIFA upheld its own sanction in January 2024. FIFA said at the time: "FIFA reiterates its absolute commitment to respecting and protecting the integrity of all people and ensuring that the basic rules of decent conduct are upheld."
Rubiales told Reuters on Thursday that he would appeal the court ruling which found him guilty of kissing Hermoso without her consent.
The Audiencia Nacional court in Spain said it had imposed an 18-month fine equating to €20 a day on Rubiales, who it found had kissed Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony after Spain won the Women's World Cup in 2023.
The ruling also prohibits Rubiales from going within 200 metres of Hermoso or communicating with her for one year.
Rubiales was acquitted of trying to coerce Hermoso into saying the kiss was consensual. Former Spanish national team coach Jorge Vilda was also found not guilty of coercion, along with other Spanish federation staff members at the time, Albert Luque and Ruben Rivera.
Prosecutors had requested a custodial sentence of two-and-a-half years for Rubiales - one year for the kiss and 18 months for coercion - the court said in a statement confirming the verdict reached by judge Jose Manuel Clemente Fernandez-Prieto.
The ruling of this court can be appealed at the Criminal Division of the National Court.
A further release from the court said the judge had analysed the crime of sexual assault and found that in this case it had been committed by "carrying out in a surprising way an act that violates the sexual freedom of another person without the consent of the assaulted".
"It is a reprehensible act carried out by the defendant within the euphoria of the celebration of having won the World Cup, an unprecedented success in Spanish women's football," the judge said, according to the court release.
The release said the judge gave "full credibility" to the testimony given by Hermoso, who stressed throughout that the kiss was non-consensual.
'Court verdict is a landmark moment'
Sky News' Rob Harris:
"It's huge in Spain and also represents a culture shift in the fact women's football is top of the agenda in Spain.
"This incident has been heavily scrutinised. There were dozens of crews outside, which was notable as well because this was a live televised court broadcast across Spain. Outside, there was a huge scrum around Rubiales and reporters attempting to get questions from him.
"It has really shone a focus on the inequalities in Spanish women's football already in the year before this World Cup. Many players had refused to play for the national side over concerns and disagreements about the treatment they were receiving from Jorge Vilda.
"He left in the fallout from this, he backed Rubiales and is now the head coach of the women's team in Morocco.
"Certainly for Spain, it's led to them asking some deeper questions - not only about football but also wider society - about misogyny and sexism. In terms of this verdict, it's quite a landmark moment.
"There is an appeal process. For Rubiales being cleared of coercion, it's something that was being scrutinised quite heavily during the trial. The statements put out in Hermoso's name after the final and claims on the plane back to Madrid that Rubiales attempted to get her to film a video before eventually he filmed one himself in Doha.
"There was that heavy focus on how much she was put under pressure to downplay the incident and it was even being looked at various things in the dressing room about why she was smiling and enjoying herself.
"She had to say she was crying inside and not wanting to take away from the celebrations, winning a Women's World Cup for the first time.
"Rubiales is already serving a three-year ban which was imposed by FIFA in 2023. It's a huge downfall for him, from one of the most senior people in football and a senior vice-president at UEFA, head of the Spanish federation too."
Tome: Football is our salvation
Spain head coach Montse Tome:
"We have not experienced a situation like this and it's something that escapes us a little bit from what we [normally] have in our daily lives.
"It's normal for me to have had that feeling in particular. They have not been easy days but we have faced them. Within that time, for me, and I think for the players too, salvation is football.
"For them to train and for me to watch them and all the team [feels] the same. I think with Jenni, she knows that as I have said, there is a professional relationship with all the players.
"We've always talked a lot with Jenni. Right now, we need these 23 players to be able to face Belgium and England [in the Nations League]."
Bronze: Spain players are brave for fighting for change
England defender Lucy Bronze, who played for Barcelona at the time of the World Cup, hailed Hermoso and her Spain team-mates for "standing up for change".
Speaking before the verdict, Bronze said: "It's been incredible that the players have had to go through that. Not only winning the World Cup and the media outside of it but they are in the court case and they are speaking out.
"It's incredibly brave of the individuals and the team involved. They are fighting for change - not just within the court case - but they are fighting for change in their federation. It's amazing.
"As an England team, we've made changes in our federation - not at the same extent or for the same reason - but we stand by the Spanish players. As a team, we wish them all the best and want them to get what they deserve.
"We want them to just enjoy their football. Having been there last year at Barcelona and watching all the players go through the ordeals after the World Cup, [it] was challenging off the pitch for them. It would be nice for them to get back to focusing on their football because they are incredible people and unbelievable players."
Timeline of events in Rubiales controversy
August 20, 2023 - Rubiales kisses forward Hermoso on the lips during World Cup final medal ceremony. Hermoso is later heard in a social media post saying she "didn't like" the kiss.
August 20, 2023 - The RFEF releases a statement on Hermoso's behalf in which she is quoted as saying "it was a totally spontaneous mutual gesture".
August 21, 2023 - After his behaviour is described as "unacceptable" by Spain's acting culture and sports minister Miquel Iceta, Rubiales issues a video statement apologising for his actions.
August 22, 2023 - Spain's acting Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez brands Rubiales' conduct "unacceptable" and his apology "not sufficient".
August 24, 2023 - FIFA opens proceedings against Rubiales.
August 25, 2023 - A defiant Rubiales repeatedly insists he will not resign in an extraordinary press conference.
August 25, 2023 - Spain's World Cup-winning women's team say they will not play any matches for the country until Rubiales has been removed from his job.
August 25, 2023 - Hermoso accuses the RFEF of placing her under "continuous pressure to come up with a statement that could justify the act of Mr Luis Rubiales".
August 26, 2023 - The RFEF threatens Hermoso with legal action over her comments. Rubiales is later banned "from all football-related activities at national and international level" for an initial period of 90 days by FIFA.
August 26, 2023 - Spain women's coaching staff, with the notable exception of manager Jorge Vilda, resign en masse. Vilda later criticises Rubiales' conduct.
August 28, 2023 - Reports in Spain say Rubiales' mother, Angeles Bejar, is on hunger strike after locking herself in a church in protest at her son's "inhuman" treatment at the hands of his critics.
September 5, 2023 - The RFEF apologises for the "enormous damage" caused by Rubiales' actions.
September 5, 2023 - Vilda is sacked as Spain head coach, 16 days after leading the team to World Cup glory in Sydney.
September 6, 2023- Hermoso formally submits a complaint about Rubiales to Spain's national prosecutor's office.
September 10, 2023 - Rubiales announces that he is resigning from his post.
September 12, 2023 - Rubiales ordered to give testimony to a Spanish judge investigating his kiss with Hermoso.
October 30, 2023 - Rubiales is banned from all football-related activities for three years.
December 6, 2023 - The FA chair Debbie Hewitt says Rubiales seemed to "forcefully" kiss England defender Lucy Bronze on her face and stroke team-mate Laura Coombs' face after the Women's World Cup final.
January 2, 2024 - Hermoso testifies in Madrid's High Court over the kiss, saying Rubiales gave the embrace without her consent.
January 16, 2024 - Rubiales submits an appeal to the Court of Arbitration of Sport (CAS) over his three-year ban from football.
January 25, 2024 - An investigating judge proposes Rubiales should be tried over his kiss.
March 28, 2024 - A prosecutor at Spain's High Court announced they were seeking a two-and-a-half-year jail term for Rubiales.
May 9, 2024 - It is announced Rubiales would stand trial for kissing Hermoso, facing one count of sexual assault and one of coercion.
February 11, 2025 - Rubiales reiterates before a judge that Hermoso gave him consent for a kiss.
February 20, 2025 - Rubiales is found guilty of sexual assault but is acquitted of coercion. He avoids a jail sentence.
February 21, 2025 - CAS rejects Rubiales' appeal against his three-year ban from football.