And so to the kiss – Spain’s MeToo moment, according to Balague.
Rubiales, who prior to the kiss had been seen grabbing his crotch while celebrating the win, has also resigned from his position as a vice-president of Uefa’s executive committee.
Spanish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into whether the incident amounts to a crime of sexual assault, and on 28 August, Rubiales’ mother locked herself in a church and went on a hunger strike in protest of the treatment of her son.
Some 81 Spain players, including all 23 World Cup winners, said they will not play for the team again while Rubiales is in charge, and most of Vilda’s coaching staff resigned in protest against the president.
On 1 September, Spain’s national sports tribunal (TAD) opened a misconduct case against Rubiales, ruling he had committed a “serious offence” by kissing Hermoso.
However, the TAD stopped short of the “very serious offence” the government had requested which would have led to his suspension.
The RFEF had been exploring whether it could sack Vilda before doing so on Tuesday. He was spotted applauding Rubiales at the RFEF’s extraordinary general assembly on 25 August – when Rubiales repeatedly insisted he would not resign – though he later criticised the president’s behaviour.
Spain’s acting labour minister Yolanda Diaz said male chauvinism was “systemic” in the country’s sports institutions and had been shown in its worst form in the incident involving Rubiales.
Balague said he was “optimistic” this could be the long-needed catalyst for change in Spanish football, and indeed in society, adding: “It has been a social and political tsunami that everybody could benefit from in the medium and long term.”
Similarly, Pedro Malabia – the director general for planning and strategy in the top flight of women’s football in Spain – told BBC World Service: “It needs to lead to a global thinking on what kind of organisations do we need. It’s not about people just serving the president and the president paying everyone and then he has control.
“It’s about what kind of football we want, how you choose a president and who are the ones choosing the president, and of course the role of women in sports. It’s about having the right people in the right positions.”