The disgraced ex-president of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, is set to face trial in February next year for an uninvited kiss on the lips of Women’s World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso, as per the court handling the case.

Rubiales, 46, sparked global outrage when he kissed Hermoso during the award ceremony after Spain's victory over England in the World Cup held in Australia last year.

In May, a court had decided that Rubiales should be tried for sexual assault over the kiss, and for allegedly forcing Hermoso to say it was consensual, even though a trial date had not been set.

The proceedings will take place at the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court responsible for intricate cases, from February 3 to 19, as the court announced on Monday.

Public prosecutors are seeking a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison for Rubiales – one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion.

The prosecution also wants Rubiales to be on probation for two years after serving the sentence and to pay Hermoso 50,000 euros ($54,000) in damages.

Rubiales, who is also being investigated in a separate corruption case related to his tenure at the federation, has denied any wrongdoing.

Additionally, three of his former colleagues are facing trial for putting pressure on Hermoso: ex-women’s coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team director Albert Luque, and federation marketing head Ruben Rivera.

The kiss occurred live on camera, leading to widespread condemnation and his suspension by FIFA, the global football governing body.

At the time, Rubiales dismissed it as a “consensual” kiss on the lips, but Hermoso, 34, argued it was not.

Under Spanish law, a kiss given without consent can be considered sexual assault, which encompasses all forms of sexual violence.

In an interview with the private Spanish television station La Sexta in April, Rubiales expressed confusion over why the kiss he gave Hermoso was being labeled as sexual assault, insisting there was “no sexual context” to it.

He refuted claims that he and other federation officials pressured Hermoso to defend him after the scandal broke out.

“I have a clear conscience; everything has been exaggerated,” Rubiales stated.

Hermoso lodged a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, informing the judge that she had been pressured to defend him both during the flight back from Australia and during a subsequent team holiday to Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.