"I will not resign, I will not resign, I will not resign," he told those present as he defended the controversial kiss. "It was a spontaneous kiss, mutual and euphoric," he said. "And, above all, consensual." Mr Rubiales went further, accusing his critics of using "false feminism" to persecute him and claimed he was the victim of "a social assassination".

And in a statement released on Friday through a players' union, Futpro, Ms Hermoso rejected Mr Rubiales' account of events. "At no time did I consent to the kiss," the Spanish striker said. "I don't tolerate my words being questioned."

I’m glad he refuses to resign. Seeing him fired will be much more satisfying.

This is the best summary I could come up with:

On Thursday, football world governing body Fifa announced it was opening disciplinary proceedings against him, appearing to make his position untenable.

Several teammates expressed their support for Ms Hermoso, with two-time Ballon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas posting on social media network X: "This is unacceptable.

The Rubiales affair appears to feed into broader social changes in Spanish society over recent years, which have included legislation promoting sexual consent and gender parity.

"This is a critical moment in this country, people are moving towards more gender equality," said Carolina García, a sports journalist at Telemadrid television network.

That controversial legislation was driven in great part by the gang rape of a young woman in Pamplona during the San Fermines festival in 2016, in a case which became known as "The Wolfpack".

Beyond the gender-related backlash against Mr Rubiales, there is also anger in Spain that this episode has threatened to overshadow the achievement of the Spanish women's team in winning its first World Cup.

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