WATCH: Ken Browne on the latest fallout from the Rubiales 'kiss'

The fall-out in Spain is gathering pace after soccer federation president Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips following their Women's World Cup final win over England in Australia.

Rubiales is temporarily suspended by football's international governing body FIFA as he refuses to step down. The federation is accusing the players of lying. Legal action is being threatened.

On Friday, the press gathered at the RFEF buildings in Madrid to hear the resignation of embattled Rubiales.

Sources close to Rubiales told CGTN that he was even preparing his resignation letter the night before.

But when the moment came, Rubiales stood up and said “I will not resign” five times in an unhinged speech casting himself as the victim of a ‘witch hunt,’ of ‘false feminism that is blighting Spain,’ and how this was a ‘social assassination.’

Journalists and members of his own team were left shocked, a bombshell moment for Spanish football.

Rubiales railed on for over half an hour, insisting that the now infamous kiss with Hermoso was “mutual and consensual,” giving a bizarre explanation for why he grabbed his crotch before the final whistle in the presence of Spain's Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter.

Jenni Hermoso: Kiss 'not consensual'

Immediately afterwards Spanish media and social media went into a frenzy.

Two-time balloon D'Or winner Alexia Putellas tweeted: "This is unacceptable, it's over." A deluge of current and former players, male and female. weighed in with support for Hermoso.

"For shame," wrote Iker Casillas.

But the biggest impact came from the woman at the centre of the scandal, who had stayed quiet.

Hermoso released a statement shortly after Rubiales' speech refuting his claims and refusing that the kiss was consensual.

Rubiales had said that he had asked Hermoso if he could give her a little peck and "she said OK," insisting it was 'the kind of kiss he'd give to his daughters,’ 'free of desire.'

That was "categorically false" said Hermoso, adding that she felt "vulnerable and the victim of an aggression."

'I was not respected'

Hermoso said in her statement that the incident had left her in "shock" but now was the time to speak out. 

"I feel the need to denounce what happened because I believe that no person, in any work, sports or social environment, should be a victim of this type of non-consensual behaviour," she said. 

"I felt vulnerable and the victim of an aggression, an impulsive, machista [chauvinistic] act, out of place and without any consent on my part. Simply put, I was not respected.

"I want to reiterate that I do not have to support the person who has committed this action against my will, without respecting me, in a historic moment for me and for women's sport in this country."

Hermoso communicated that she was put under pressure to make a statement in support of Rubiales, the federation approaching her, her friends and family. 

"I'm sure that as a world champion national team we do not deserve such a manipulative, hostile and controlling culture," she added.

National women's team boycott 

Spain's World Cup-winning national women's team is now refusing to play until Rubiales resigns and there was a complete change in the current administration at the top of the national team.

All 56 players and team members signed up to the boycott including all 23 players from the World Cup-winning squad.

On Saturday, Rubiales and the federation threatened the players with legal action if they refused to play, saying that participation in the national team was mandatory.

The federation says they and the president will "demonstrate each of the lies that are spread either by someone on behalf of the player or, if applicable, by the player herself."

The issue has become political too with Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez calling Rubiales' position untenable. There are already official processes under way to remove him from his post. Many in Spain say that Rubiales' days are numbered.

On Saturday afternoon, Rubiales was provisionally suspended by world governing body FIFA.

Spain's 2030 World Cup bid

The scandal has gone global and it's unwanted attention for a country that has a joint men's World Cup bid in for 2030 along with Portugal, Morocco, and Ukraine.

The focus, however, is on the women's game right now with many lamenting the fact that in place of celebrating a historic achievement by an amazing group of players, winning Spain's first ever women's World Cup trophy, the celebrations were hijacked by Rubiales.

"We should be talking about them, not him," one Spanish journalist told CGTN.

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