[1/2] Former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales is pictured after leaving the high court in Madrid, Spain - September 15, 2023 REUTERS/Isabel Infantes/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsMADRID, Sept 18 (Reuters) - A Spanish court has dismissed a lawsuit by disgraced ex-soccer federation chief Luis Rubiales against coach Javier Clemente who had called Rubiales a "dangerous and ambitious guy" seeking "to get rich", qualifying his comments as free speech.
Rubiales declined to comment, and Clemente, who was Spain national men's team coach during the 1990s, was not available for comment.
Rubiales sued Clemente in 2022 after the outspoken coach said in an interview that Rubiales' "goal was to make a fortune" at the helm of the RFEF.
At the Aug. 20 medal ceremony following Spain's World Cup victory in Sydney, Rubiales grabbed player Jenni Hermoso's head and kissed her on the lips, triggering a furore over sexism in Spanish sport and society.
Reporting by Emma Pinedo; additional reporting by Fernando Kallas, editing by Andrei Khalip and Mark HeinrichOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
Persons:
Royal Spanish Football Federation Luis Rubiales, Isabel Infantes, Luis Rubiales, Javier Clemente, Rubiales, Clemente, Jenni Hermoso's, Hermoso, Emma Pinedo, Fernando Kallas, Andrei Khalip, Mark Heinrich Our
Organizations:
Royal Spanish Football Federation, REUTERS, Rights, Reuters, Spain national men's, UEFA, Athletic Bilbao, La Liga, Libya national, Thomson
Locations:
Madrid, Spain, Rights MADRID, Sydney, Serbia, Cameroon