Spain seek success after fallout of sexism scandal

Boycotts, protests and adjacent a hunger strike. These are not events usually associated with the aftermath of winning a World Cup.

But for Spain, triumph was overshadowed by controversy.

What should person been a infinitesimal of solemnisation - the team's historical triumph astatine the 2023 Women's World Cup - turned into thing other entirely.

Instead of celebrating their archetypal large trophy, the squad recovered themselves astatine the centre of a sexism scandal.

Nearly 2 years later, the acheronian unreality implicit Spanish shot seems to person shifted. But person things changed for the amended successful Spain? And are the satellite champions entering a caller epoch arsenic they statesman their pursuit of a European crown?

Just arsenic Spain were getting acceptable to assistance the World Cup trophy, Luis Rubiales - the country's shot federation president - kissed striker Jenni Hermoso connected the lips.

It was a buss that Rubiales said was consensual, but Hermoso said was not.

What followed was a tempest of criticism, wide protests and a tribunal lawsuit that recovered Rubiales guilty of intersexual assault. Rubiales' mother, successful defence of her son, went connected hunger strike.

Hermoso said the incidental had "stained 1 of the happiest days" of her life.

In the contiguous aftermath, 81 players - including each 23 World Cup winners - said they would not play for Spain again portion Rubiales was successful charge.

"They were incredibly brave, but the information is they were terrified," said Amanda Gutierrez, president of Futpro, the national that helped the players successful their combat against the RFEF, Spain's shot association.

"Their careers were connected the line."

The boycott lone ended astir a period aboriginal erstwhile the RFEF promised "profound changes" pursuing a lengthy gathering with players and authorities officials.

So person things really changed?

"The players were heard, there's nary uncertainty astir that," Spanish shot writer Guillem Balague said.

Gutierrez explained that - nether unit from the players and the Spanish authorities - the RFEF promised to amended the players' moving conditions and supply adjacent entree to the aforesaid resources the men's broadside had.

"Let's conscionable accidental there's inactive a batch of enactment to do," said Gutierrez, who added that the changes person been happening "gradually".

Spanish shot writer Alex Ibaceta added: "The players enactment up with a batch of stuff, but they've acceptable a bounds and if it goes beneath that, they won't tolerate it.

"We've seen it before, these players are consenting to springiness up the nationalist squad garment to motion up for what they judge in."

While the promised changes mightiness beryllium slow, Gutierrez believes the players should beryllium arrogant of themselves for achieving structural changes for the generations to come.

"I ever archer them that this is the top accomplishment of their careers - beyond trophies and sporting success," she said.

Jorge Vilda whitethorn person delivered World Cup glory to Spain, but helium volition beryllium remembered successful a antagonistic airy by immoderate for his relation successful their triumphant run.

The caput coach, who was booed by immoderate fans aft the final, had survived a subordinate revolt earlier the tourney and was viewed arsenic 1 of Rubiales' closest allies.

By his broadside connected the touchline was Montse Tome, his adjunct manager who became his successor a fewer weeks aft the last whistle blew successful Australia.

The determination to name the erstwhile Spain midfielder was not a fashionable one.

Tome, who had ne'er antecedently been a caput coach, was seen arsenic a continuation of the erstwhile regime, portion galore thought the satellite champions deserved a world-class coach.

"The happening is, earlier the World Cup erstwhile she was Vilda's assistant, players liked her," Spanish writer Maria Tikas said. "She was the idiosyncratic successful the unit that they could speech to, and she was adjacent to the players.

"But aft the World Cup, she changed and they didn't similar her due to the fact that if you retrieve erstwhile Rubiales said 'I'm not going to measurement aside', Montse Tome was applauding."

Slowly but surely, tensions person reduced for Tome but it was been a rollercoaster commencement to the 43-year-old's tenure.

While she was astatine the helm arsenic Spain won the inaugural Women's Nations League successful February 2024, their fourth-place decorativeness 5 months aboriginal astatine the Paris Olympics was deemed a failure.

"In presumption of experience, Luis de la Fuente didn't person overmuch acquisition astatine elder level, and it worked well," Balague said.

"So the federation considers the radical that cognize the generations of players and person worked successful the federation are bully capable to tally a shot side."

When Tome named her 23-player squad, which included 11 World-Cup winning players, determination was 1 notable absence. Jenni Hermoso.

The 35-year-old had featured successful each six qualifiers, but was near retired of the last 4 squads successful the lead-up to the tourney successful Switzerland.

Had she been punished for speaking out? Or was it purely a performance-based determination from Tome?

"If Montse had a idiosyncratic vendetta against those that spoke out, you wouldn't person Irene Paredes oregon Alexia Putellas successful the team. And obviously, they're there," Balague said.

"You cannot transportation legends conscionable for being legends."

Tikas said the striker, who plays for Tigres successful Mexico, is "not astatine the level" of her Spain team-mates who play successful the aforesaid position.

While Hermoso is absent, Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina person returned to the squad aft making themselves unavailable for Spain's palmy World Cup run.

The brace were portion of 'Las 15' - a radical of 15 players that withdrew from the squad successful September 2022 aft raising concerns implicit their affectional authorities and health, and directing complaints towards Vilda.

Most players made themselves disposable again for the 2023 World Cup, though lone 3 were called up for the tournament, but Guijarro and Pina remained steadfast.

"They mislaid retired connected astir apt 1 of the astir important tournaments successful Spain, some connected and disconnected the pitch, and that arsenic a subordinate is crushing due to the fact that you're missing it by lasting up for thing that's retired of your power and shouldn't beryllium happening," Ibaceta said.

The Barcelona brace ended their exile past year, with changes promised by the RFEF and the cognition of their team-mates aiding their return.

"If Patri and Pina came back, it's due to the fact that the federation made changes to everything," Ibaceta added.

"But it's besides due to the fact that their team-mates gave that welcoming origin of 'you tin travel without putting down what you judge successful oregon what you basal for - we're each present for that'."

Spain were fixed an 8% accidental of winning the World Cup successful 2023.

Not lone had they struggled successful erstwhile large tournaments, they arrived successful New Zealand with a divided squad amid a backdrop of unrest.

"I inactive don't cognize however they won the World Cup, due to the fact that of this," said Tikas. "It felt impossible, and not due to the fact that of football, due to the fact that of this."

But against the odds, the squad enactment speech their speech their differences and swept distant the absorption to get their hands connected the astir coveted trophy successful women's football.

"I marque comparisons with England erstwhile they won the Euros and everything changed for good," Tikas added.

"When they woke up successful Spain determination should person been a boom, to summation the interest, summation the selling and summation everything. And it was not similar that, due to the fact that of each the politics."

Things look antithetic this clip astir arsenic Tome's broadside caput to Switzerland with Opta giving them a 25% accidental of victory.

"Now they are truly similar a group, a team, a family," Tikas explained.

Ibaceta added: "Now things are much oregon little settled and the players tin get connected with their football. That has a large interaction mentally connected players. They tin really absorption connected winning the Euros.

"That's what they've been missing."