Luis Rubiales is under mounting pressure to resign as president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) as the toxic fallout from his Women’s World Cup final celebrations shows no sign of abating.
Rubiales was widely criticised for kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the presentation ceremony after Spain beat England 1-0 in Sydney.
Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual, while Rubiales faced further scrutiny when footage emerged of him grabbing his crotch when celebrating in the stands.
The subsequent days have produced an astonishing chain of events, from an initial botched apology to Rubiales making a U-turn on an expected resignation.
Major figures from across football, the Spanish government and UEFA and FIFA have all been drawn into the row, which took its most bizarre turn when Rubiales’ mother locked herself in a church and went on hunger strike to protest against her son’s treatment.
Here, we examine how the saga has unfolded.
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Luis Rubiales kiss controversy, explained: Timeline of events
August 20: Spain beat England in the World Cup final thanks to Olga Carmona’s first-half strike. Hermoso has a second-half penalty saved but completes the job with her teammates before becoming the…
