La Liga F said in a statement: “The Professional Women’s Football League has lodged a complaint with the President of the Superior Sports Council (CSD) after the very serious actions and behaviour of the president of the Spanish Football Federation, Luis Rubiales, at the final of the Women’s World Cup, and is calling for his dismissal.

“One of the greatest feats in the history of Spanish sport has been tainted by the embarrassing behaviour of the highest representative of Spanish football who, once again, and guided by his continuous and habitual desire for leadership, has revealed to not be up to the position he occupies,” the women’s league added.

“A boss grabbing his employee by the head and kissing her on the mouth simply cannot be tolerated.

“It’s not just about the kiss. Celebrating the triumph on the presidential balcony while holding his genitals next to the queen is unacceptable and disgusting.”

That criticism was a reference to another incident on Sunday evening, broadcast around the world, which appeared to show Rubiales grab his genitals with both hands to celebrate Spain’s victory.

Less than two metres away from his seat were Spanish Queen Letizia and her daughter, Infanta Sofia, who were also watching the match.

“It’s an incident which has entered the history of world sport and, more seriously still, will forever be linked to our national women’s team,” said La Liga F who described it as a moment of “unprecedented international disgrace for the ‘Spain brand’, for Spanish sport and for women’s football in the world”.

American forward Megan Rapinoe, the world’s most high-profile women’s player, was similarly scathing in an interview with The Atlantic.

“What kind of upside-down world are we in? On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy,” Rapinoe said.

She referred to Rubiales’ behaviour at the final as portraying “a deep level of misogyny and sexism”.

Hermoso herself had earlier called for “exemplary measures” to be taken against Rubiales, the Futpro union said.

“My union Futpro, in coordination with my agency TMJ, are taking care of defending my interests and have taken over as my interlocutors on this matter.” Hermoso said in a joint statement released by the union and her agency.

“We are working to ensure that acts such as those we have seen never go unpunished, that they are sanctioned and that the exemplary measures are adopted to protect women footballers from actions that we believe are unacceptable.”

FUTPRO will on Monday meet Spain’s second deputy leader Yolanda Diaz to ensure the actions of Rubiales are “duly sanctioned”.

The Spanish government on Wednesday demanded transparency and urgent action from the football federation.

The RFEF has called an emergency meeting for Friday and activated an internal investigation into the incident.

Victor Francos, Spain’s secretary of sport and president of the country’s sports council (CSD), said the council would take action if the RFEF did not.

Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said on Tuesday that Rubiales’ apology for the kiss was insufficient.