Spanish Football Federation President Luis Rubiales on Friday declared he would not yield to the tempestuous demands for his resignation following a storm of criticism had gathered momentum after a polarizing unsolicited kiss he planted on the lips of Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso.
Rubiales, 46, was widely anticipated to step down as the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
A cacophony of voices from government ministers to sports luminaries resounded, urging him to step aside.
Even FIFA, the world football arbiter, had opened its disciplinary arsenal against him.
But in a pivotal moment, Rubiales mounted the rostrum at an emergency gathering of the football federation and bellowed, "I will not resign, I will not resign, I will not resign."
"A consensual 'peck' is enough to get me out of here? I will fight until the end," he said.
Amid the reverberations of his proclamation, he likened the political and sporting pressure he was subjected to this week to a public assassination attempt.
He vowed not to be felled, instead pledging to wield the sword of self-defense against those who dared challenge him.
His impassioned soliloquy found harmony in the applause of Spain's women's coach, Jorge Vilda, who himself has courted controversies.
A choir of nods and murmurings of approval rose from the assembly, like echoes of Rubiales' unwavering spirit.
Rubiales sought to quell the tempest of allegations surrounding his kiss, stating that it was borne of mutual spontaneity, euphoria and consent.
But as his words echoed in the room, the gravity of the situation was not lost.
The women players' union, Futpro asserted that Rubiales' actions should not escape unscathed.
On the precipice of this cataclysmic juncture, Rubiales stood unwavering, as he decried what he labeled "false feminism."
He unshackled his heart and decried the relentless hunt he had been subjected to since ascending to his position in 2018.
"When I make a mistake it hurts me and I ask for forgiveness without softening it, but I do not deserve this hunt that I have been suffering for five years, every day for five years. I'm going to keep fighting like my parents taught me, like my coaches, my teammates," he said.
He asked, "For God's sake, what about the women truly scarred by the horrors of sexual assault? Must their anguish be overshadowed by this tempest?"
The battlefield of opinions raged beyond the assembly hall.
Second Deputy Prime Minister Yolanda Diaz declared that what had unfolded within those walls was unacceptable, urging the government to usher in a new era where impunity for such actions was obsolete.
The High Council of Sport (CSD) added its weight, vowing to wield its instruments to bring Rubiales to account.
Victor Francos, the president of the CSD, announced, "We shall set the wheels in motion, not letting this languish. Spain's sports court shall bear witness to this momentous affair."
La Liga President Javier Tebas castigated Rubiales for a litany of perceived transgressions and declared, "The list of aggrieved souls, both women and men, wronged by Luis Rubiales, stretches far too long. This cycle must cease."
Even in the midst of his unyielding resolve, Rubiales yielded an apology, the embodiment of his humanity.
He expressed remorse for an unbecoming gesture during the celebrations after the 1-0 victory against England.
"In the tide of euphoria, I faltered and let emotions get the better of me. I express my regret for that moment," he said.
As the tides continued to churn, club presidents and players' associations added their own voices to the choir of dissent.
The Spanish players' association (AFE) thundered, demanding action, and club presidents too weighed in.
In a final note of paradox, Rubiales revealed a tentative olive branch. A new contract for coach Vilda, complete with a princely salary, was offered as a gesture of solidarity.
