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 focus of unwanted attention after the final whistle. Rubiales embraces the Pachuca forward before placing both of his hands on the back of her head and planting a kiss on her lips.
During a live stream after the game, Hermoso says she "did not like" the kiss, adding: "But what can I do?"
August 21: Amid widespread criticism, Rubiales issues a video apology, saying the kiss was "without bad intention at a time with a lot of excitement". "In the moment, we saw it as natural, but outside a commotion has formed."
🥇 Las campeonas del mundo serán distinguidas con la Medalla al Oro de la Real Orden del Mérito Deportivo.
— RFEF (@rfef) August 22, 2023
🇪🇸 A la @SEFutbolFem se le concederá la Placa de Oro por parte del CSD (@deportegob).
🤝 El presidente en funciones, @sanchezcastejon, ha recibido hoy en Moncloa al… pic.twitter.com/3Vkytwh4gg
August 22: The apology does little to quell criticism of Rubiales. Spain's acting Prime Minister says the statement was "not enough" and "not adequate", Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz calls for his resignation, while Spain's equalities minister Irene Montero labelled the kiss "a form of sexual violence women suffer on a daily basis".
August 23: Spanish sports website Revelo reports that a statement distributed by the RFEF after the final, which attributed quotes to Hermoso describing a "totally spontaneous mutual gesture due to the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings" and a "great relationship" with Rubiales, was not given by the player. It is also claimed that both Rubiales and head coach Jorge Vilda tried to persuade Hermoso to appear in the apology video alongside the president, and that she refused.
August 24: FIFA opens disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales. The disciplinary committee of world football's governing body will consider whether the under-fire official violated its code in relation to "the basic rules of decent conduct" and "behaving in a way that brings the sport of football and/or FIFA into disrepute".
The FIFA Disciplinary Committee opens disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish FA
— FIFA Media (@fifamedia) August 24, 2023
⬇️ https://t.co/vtGu2Ez8EP
August 25: At an emergency meeting of the RFEF, Rubiales announces that he will not resign despite widespread reports to the contrary. In a remarkable address, he claims the kiss with Hermoso was "consensual", decries the "scourge" of "false feminism" and pledges to give Vilda a new four-year contract worth €500,000 per year. The speech, in which he repeated "I will not resign", draws comparisons to Leonardo Di Caprio in The Wolf Of Wall Street.
August 25: Hermoso releases a statement disputing Rubiales' claims, insisting the kiss was not consensual. "I do not tolerate my word being questioned and much less that they invent words that I did not say," she says.
August 25: Players agency Futpro announces that 81 Spanish players — including all 23 members of the World Cup winning squad — will not play for the team until Rubiales is removed from office.
August 26: The RFEF responds to Futpro with an incendiary statement threatening legal action over "each falsehood that is spread". The federation backs Rubiales' version of events over Hermoso, who it claims has not responded to calls to take part in its enquiries. Regarding the mass withdrawal from international duty, RFEF responds that "participation in the national team is an obligation for all federated individuals if called upon to do so".
Official Announcement. August 25th,2023. pic.twitter.com/lQb18IGsk2
— Jenn1 Hermos0 (@Jennihermoso) August 25, 2023
August 26: Despite applauding Rubiales' address a day earlier, Vilda issues a statement criticising his boss' "inappropriate behaviour" and condemning "any macho attitude". Meanwhile, several of Vilda's backroom team and other support staff resign in protest against Rubiales.
August 26: FIFA provisionally suspends Rubiales from all football activity for 90 days pending disciplinary proceedings against him. In response, RFEF says: "Luis Rubiales has stated that he will legally defend himself in the competent bodies, he fully trusts FIFA and reiterates that, in this way, he is given the opportunity to begin his defense so that the truth prevails and his complete innocence is proven."
August 27: RFEF launches an investigation into Rubiales through its sexual violence protocol due to an internal complaint being submitted.
August 28: Rubiales' mother Angeles Bejar goes on hunger strike due to the "inhumane hunt" against her son, locking herself in the Divina Pastora church in Montril. Bajar told the EFE news agency that her strike would continue "indefinitely, day and night".
MORE: Spain triumph at Women's World Cup feels like a huge step forward — and a bit of a step back
August 28: Spain's top criminal court launches an investigation to see whether the Rubiales-Hermoso incident could constitute sexual assault.
August 28: The RFEF takes the remarkable step of asking UEFA to suspend it from the European federation, citing government interference over the Rubiales affair. Such a move would leave Spain's men unable to compete at Euro 2024 and see La Liga clubs barred from the Champions League. According to the Associated Press, UEFA does not comply with the RFEF's request. Spain’s Sports Tribunal (TAD) meets to discuss the government's request to suspend Rubiales.
August 28: RFEF's regional leaders call on Rubiales to resign due to "unacceptable behaviours that have seriously damaged the image of Spanish football". In addition, interim president Pedro Rocha — standing in for Rubiales on account of his FIFA suspension — is asked to withdraw his most recent communications with UEFA, relating to the request to strip Spanish clubs of their European status.