Luis Rubiales knew there was no way back for him at the Spanish FA

The suggestion that Luis Rubiales has finally stepped down as President of the Spanish Football Federation because it is in the best interests of the country's World Cup bid, have been dismissed as lacking credibility by many in Spain.

The belief is that his decision had been made some time back, once he knew that he stood alone in world football without the support of FIFA and UEFA, and that he had to concentrate his energy on fighting to clear his name in the courts after Jenni Hermoso filed an official complaint against him.

His speech to the Spanish Federation’s assembly when he shouted five times that he would not resign came before FIFA suspended him and launched an investigation.

Once the game’s governing body had taken that stand it was already time for him to begin plotting a way back from his ‘I will not resign’ rant. When UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin also condemned his behaviour it became even more clear that there was no way back.

He is understood to have informed his allies still in the Spanish Football Federation last week of his intention and finally on Sunday evening the man he had left as interim president Pedro Rocha had it confirmed to him that he would be issuing a statement of resignation.

The fact that he is fighting to clear his name with the possibility that a case of sexual assault could go to trial, also weighed heavy.

He could have played up to FIFA and UEFA by saying that, on reflection, his behavior was grossly inappropriate but that might have contradicted his case for the defence that he is the victim of a witch-hunt and not the perpetrator of assault which is likely to carry a year’s suspended sentence and a fine if he is found guilty. He needed to focus on his defence and not on getting