Prosecutors open sexual assault investigation into Rubiales kiss

1. Prosecutors say they have launched a sexual assault investigation into Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales
2. It comes as the federation, RFEF, is holding an "extraordinary and urgent" meeting to discuss the crisis
3. Its chief, Rubiales, has been suspended for three months by the sport's global governing body, Fifa
4. Rubiales sparked a huge row when he kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain won the Women’s World Cup earlier this month
5. He has resisted pressure to step down, and has insisted the kiss was consensual - something denied by Hermoso
6. His mother has gone on a hunger strike because of what she told Spanish media was an "inhuman hunt" against her son

We're pausing our coverage for now

We're still waiting to hear from the Spanish FA (RFEF) which has been holding its "extraordinary and urgent" meeting to discuss the crisis over its president Luis Rubiales, who sparked a huge row when he kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain won the Women’s World Cup.

What's happened so far today?:

• Spanish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation to see if what took place was a sexual assault
• Rubiales' mother has gone on a hunger strike over what she says is an “inhuman and bloody hunt” against her son
• Spanish labour minister Yolanda Diaz spoke of "structural machismo" in the country and criticised those who clapped Rubiales when he refused to resign on Friday
• The Spanish government has called on the Spanish Sports Tribunal (Tad) to suspend Rubiales - the body has also been meeting today and we're waiting to hear the outcome of that

We're pausing our live updates for now - but we'll be back if there are big developments later.

A wild week for Spanish football

EPA

Protests outside the RFEF headquarters in Spain demanding the resignation of its president Luis Rubiales

On 20 August, Spanish fans were revelling in the success of their national women's team, who had just won their first World Cup. Today, the headlines couldn't be more different. Here's a brief timeline of how we got here...

Sunday 20 August - World Cup final

• During the medal ceremony, Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso is first embraced and then kissed on the lips by the president of the Spanish FA, the RFEF, Luis Rubiales
• Hermoso says she“did not enjoy” the kiss during a later live stream

21 August

• Rubiales says he’s "sorry for those who were offended" after being fiercely criticised by other footballers, media and Spanish prime minister

24 August

• Fifa opens disciplinary proceedings to examine Rubiales' actions

25 August

• A defiant Rubiales insists he won't resign, and calls the kiss "consensual"
• Spain's government begins legal proceedings seeking to suspend Rubiales
• Hermoso releases a statement rejecting Rubiales' claims, saying "at no time... was his kiss ever consensual"
• 81 Spanish players refuse to play until Rubiales is removed, including all 23 players who went to the Women's World Cup

26 August

• The RFEF says it will take legal action against Hermoso over her "lies" about the kiss
• Fifa provisionally suspends Rubiales, pending the outcome of its disciplinary proceedings
• A mass resignation of coaches is announced in protest at Rubiales

27 August

• THE RFEF says it has launched an internal investigation after its sexual violence protocol was activated

28 August

• Prosecutors say they have launched a preliminary sexual assault investigation into Luis Rubiales, as the Spanish federation, RFEF, holds an "extraordinary and urgent" meeting to discuss the crisis

Lionesses express 'love and support' for Spain's women's team

BBC Breakfast

England midfielder Georgia Stanway says the Lionesses have all wanted to show their "love and support" for the Spanish women's side.

This morning she spoke to BBC Breakfast about the reasons why the England team put out a statement saying they stood by Jenni Hermoso.

In their statement, the Lionesses jointly condemned the "unacceptable actions allowed to happen by a sexist and patriarchal organisation".

Stanway wants the Spanish football federation "to do what's right" and for the Spanish team's World Cup victory to return as the main focus.

Spanish Sports Council waiting for FA meeting outcome

Victor Francos, the president of the Spanish Sports Council, has just been speaking to reporters.

He says he's still waiting for the outcome of the meeting of the Spanish FA (Rfef), which is in talks over what steps, if any, to take in the case of Luis Rubiales.

He hasn't spoken to any FA members, saying it's only fair to wait, and respect the discussions.

Asked about people at Friday's RFEF meeting, where Rubiales was applauded by some as he refused to resign, Francos said "I really didn't like the applause".

He also expressed concern about impact of the controversy on the way Spanish football is seen.

Football Federation regional president 'expected Rubiales to resign'

Reuters

Jose Juan Arencibia and Paco Diez spoke to the media before heading inside

Spain's Football Federation has been meeting this afternoon to discuss what happens next with Rubiales.

Outside the building, the president of the Las Palmas Football Federation Juan Jose Arencibia spoke to the media, and said he had expected Rubiales to resign on Friday.

"I came to the last meeting thinking that he would resign and it was clear to me that in this kind of issue, the values and the morals are above everything else, despite the fact that he's a good guy," Arencibia said.

"I couldn´t be flexible with this," he added, and said the Federation "needs to take action".

Paco Diez, the Madrid Football Federation president also stopped for a word to journalists, and said "things need to change radically".

We're still waiting for news on the outcome of the meeting - stay with us.

No one talking about World Cup win - Spanish sports journalist

Reuters

Spanish football journalist Danae Boronat has just been speaking to the BBC about how the incident is being talked about in Spain.

She says the controversial kiss has overshadowed what would otherwise be victory celebrations.

"It is a shame, but the truth is we are not talking about the winning of the World Cup," Boronat says.

At the last World Cup, it was "unthinkable to dream of winning," she says, but now "no time has been dedicated to the sporting success of this team".

Luis Rubiales kissing Jenni Hermoso unleashes social tsunami in Spain

Guillem Balague

Spanish football expert

This is the Spanish MeToo moment.

It's an opportunity to focus everybody's attention on the treatment of women in football - and on the frustration at what many see as systemic blindness at the top of an elite organisation, the Spanish football federation (RFEF).

Jenni Hermoso is being backed not just by female players, but male players too - although perhaps not as much as hoped.

It's caused a storm in football, which has turned into a social tsunami. It feels like wherever you are, everyone is talking about it, and in Spain it's the number one story every day.

One week ago, we were celebrating a historic World Cup victory. That has quickly soured, some say. It's been a whirlwind of success and recrimination, of holding to account - and of sheer defiance.

But there is one thing people on every side agree on: this is one of the most important weeks for Spain in living memory.

Read the full article here.

Anger simmers outside sports tribunal

Guy Hedgecoe

Reporting from Madrid

While outside the HQ of the national sports tribunal (TAD), which is meeting to discuss possible proceedings against Luis Rubiales, three separate motorists - all male - shouted abuse aimed at the suspended president in the space of half an hour.

It's not a scientific survey, by any means, but it does seem to reflect how strongly many Spaniards feel about this issue.

And it also shows how conspicuous support for Luis Rubiales is, by its absence.

WATCH: Rubiales kiss row... in 75 seconds

New to this story? We’ve made a video summing up the controversy, what Jenni Hermoso and Luis Rubiales have said, and how Spanish players are reacting.

Get up to speed in just over a minute:

The Rubiales World Cup kiss row so far

We saw the worst of Spanish society, says minister

Reuters

We've been hearing today from Yolanda Diaz, who is Spain's labour minister and also the second deputy prime minister.

Reuters is reporting her comments that male chauvinism is "systemic" in the country.

Following the meeting of the Spanish FA, Rfef, on Friday, where Luis Rubiales refused to resign, Diaz said:

"On Friday we saw the worst of Spanish society, of the structural machismo of this country."

"They clapped and humiliated and made fun of a person they had the obligation to protect under the sports law and far from doing that, they inflicted more damage, more pain, more vexation."

However she says Spanish society is predominantly "feminist" and "an example in the world".

"That's why these behaviours are much more shocking," she told reporters following a meeting with the footballers' union Futpro.

Rubiales' future under scrutiny

Guy Hedgecoe

Reporting from Madrid

The members of the national sports tribunal (TAD) are meeting to evaluate the Spanish government's request for disciplinary proceedings to be brought against Luis Rubiales.

The TAD is linked to the government, but its members are independent legal experts.

If it decides to open proceedings against Rubiales, that could potentially lead to his removal.

Separately, Víctor Francos, the head of the government's Higher Sports Council (CSD) and secretary of state for sport, is due to give a press conference in Tarragona at 1730BST to explain measures he plans to take in relation to the Rubiales crisis.

Mother on hunger strike and family suffering - Rubiales' cousin

Reuters

Reporters and camera crew are gathering outside the church where the mother of Luis Rubiales is on hunger strike

Luis Rubiales' cousin has hit out at what she describes as the "campaign of harassment and destabilisation" against the football federation boss.

Vanesa Ruiz Béja was speaking to reporters in the town of Motril in Granada in Spain.

"His mother, who is a very religious person, has taken refuge in God and has gone on hunger strike. She does not want to leave the church," she said.

"His family is suffering a lot for him. We don't think it's fair what is happening."

"We want them to leave us alone, we want justice to be done and this woman to tell the truth. Jenni, we want you to tell the truth."

As we have been reporting, Jenni Hermoso says she did not consent to the kiss - though Rubiales says it was "mutual, euphoric and consensual".

Sexual assault investigation, hunger strike and an emergency meeting

If you are just joining us, we’ve had a series of significant updates to this story in the past few hours.

It all began after Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales kissed midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips when Spain won the Women’s World Cup earlier this month.

Despite increasing pressure, Rubiales has refused to resign and says the kiss was consensual - a claim Hermoso strongly denies.

Here are the latest updates:

• Spanish prosecutors opened a preliminary investigation to see if what took place was a sexual assault
• Rubiales' mother has gone on a hunger strike over what she says is an “inhuman and bloody hunt” against her son
• The Spanish football association (Rfef) is holding an "extraordinary and urgent” meeting to discuss the crisis, after Fifa, the sport's global governing body, suspended Rubiales for three months
• The Spanish government has called on the Spanish Sports Tribunal (Tad) to suspend Rubiales, and Tad is also holding a meeting today

Stay with us, we'll bring you more as we get it.

Head of women's football union calls for change

Reuters

Here's a little bit more from the press conference earlier - we heard from Labour minister Yolanda Diaz, and also from Amanda Gutiérrez Dominguez, the head of football players' union Futpro.

Gutiérrez Dominguez said what happened at the World Cup was “very sad” and things must change “internally”.

She said the union did not only want to concentrate on the Rubiales incident, but to make clear that "this is a cultural problem... social problem of our country in general".

She went on to criticise the pay gap between male and female footballers.

Gutiérrez Dominguez also said there should also be a focus on Spain’s victory in the Women’s World Cup final.

Preliminary investigation into possible sexual assault launched

A bit more on that investigation now.

According to a statement received by the AFP news agency from the Spanish national court, "prosecutors from the national court have opened a preliminary investigation to look into the facts, which could constitute an offence of sexual assault".

The statement indicated the court would offer Hermoso a chance to file a lawsuit.

BreakingProsecutors open investigation

We've just hearing that Spanish prosecutors have opened a preliminary investigation into Rubiales' kiss of midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips. We'll bring you more as we get it.

Minister calls for reform of sports organisations

Shutterstock

Yolanda Diaz has been saying that Spain is not a country that practices discrimination.

"We need a real, very thorough reform of the sporting associations and organisations," she said.

"They have been threatening, and have the wrong tone - and they are basically supporting the behaviour of Mr Rubiales," she says.

Minister condemns 'systemic machismo'

Here's a bit more from Yolanda Diaz, Spain's labour minister and also the second deputy prime minister.

She tells reporters: "We are in a country of systemic machismo and are not only talking about the personal responsibility of Mr Rubiales but also the massive discrimination in Spain against women."

"This is damaging sport in our country," she says.

Spanish labour minister: We have to protect the victim not applaud the perpetrator

Spain's labour minister Yolanda Díaz is currently speaking to the media.

She says the applauding of a man who is "accused of sexual aggression" is "unacceptable".

"We have to protect the victim and not applaud the perpetrator," she says.

Spain’s head coach Vilda criticises 'inappropriate' kiss

PA Media

The coach of Spain’s women’s team Jorge Vilda has criticised the actions of Luis Rubiales, calling the moment he kissed Hermoso “inappropriate and unacceptable”.

The pair had been allies, with Vilda seen applauding the now-suspended Spanish football chief when he was defending his actions on Friday.

But in a statement released on Saturday night, Vilda said he regrets that the “victory of Spanish women's football has been harmed by the inappropriate behaviour” of the team’s “until-now top leader”.

Since the kiss, Vilda's entire coaching staff have resigned in protest against Rubiales, but Vilda himself has not stepped down.

Read more here.