Spain's women's national team reported training this week, albeit reluctantly. Photo: Getty Images/Jose Jordan
It Happened It's been 31 days since Spain won the World Cup. In addition to the traditional parade of open-top buses, they were rewarded with one sexual assault case, a three-week saga to force the resignation of the offending federation president, and threats of legal action if the players refused to return to the national team. . Essentially, a series of public humiliations coupled with the most enviable trophy in world football.
It's hard to sum up the events of the last 31 days since Luis Rubiales kissed Jenny Hermoso on the lips without consent. But the faces of the players arriving at camp on Tuesday morning were somewhat consistent with that. Sullen, angry and mostly silent, the women made their way through dozens of reporters and cameras to carry out their duties. They did this not because they wanted to, but because the new head coach Montse Thome and the federation (RFEF) called them in despite their protests.
Last week, 39 players (including 21 members of the World Cup squad) said they would not return to the squad until the RFEF made further structural changes, but they were called up anyway. If they fail to turn up, they face a fine of up to €30,000 (£26,000) and the loss of their license to play domestically. So, on the advice of a lawyer, they showed up. A solution appeared to have been found ahead of Friday's match with Sweden as 21 of the 23 players agreed to remain in camp after talks that lasted throughout the night until 4.40am on Wednesday. But there is still a way to go.
Vero Boquete knows better than anyone the dangerous situation these players — some of whom are her former teammates — face in the fight against the federation. As Spain captain in 2015, she led a rebellion that successfully forced the RFEF to sack longtime national team coach Ignacio Quereda. The players got what they asked for, but Boquete was never selected for the Spanish national team again.
“I paid a high price, but I don’t regret anything,” the 36-year-old now tells Telegraph Sport from Florence, where she now plays for Fiorentina. “The team is now fighting for what is worth it. They're a little scared, but they're world champions, they'll never have more power than they have now — so it's now or never. If not, then everything will be the same as before, as always.”
In 2015, their uprising was the main topic of news in Spain, a level of attention to women's football never seen. However, the careers of Boquete and some of her colleagues were derailed by the federation's leadership. There are fears that history may repeat itself.
Boquete watched the federation's actions with sadness, disappointment and embarrassment. But she remains hopeful that things will now turn out differently for the players than they did for her — not because of the federation, but because of broader social shifts.
“Society is different now than it was in 2015, we are in a feminist moment where people no longer accept machoism. In 2015 we tried to use the media and our moment, but women's football was still very small. Over the past eight years, women's football has become a big sport and is now closer to more people. Football is a part of society that is harder to change, culturally it is more macho. Those whom we still have to change are those who have been in football for so many years and do not want to lose their places.”
Barcelona-based sports journalist Semra Hunter agrees and says it is no exaggeration to call Spain's MeToo moment finally here. “It really became a MeToo moment, it really spread into society and culture. It hit us so hard in the face that there was no other choice but to talk about it. There is a general consensus that we can even use this opportunity to become an example for other countries that may also suffer from masculinity or sexism in society at large. This is more than just a kiss, it is a symbol of something much deeper.»
The question is whether federation will ever catch up with society. Boquete says the players' demands for structural changes are fair and criticizes Thome's appointment as head coach. She was part of the old regime of Jorge Vilda, Boquete claims, as were other federation employees who survived the departure of Rubiales and Vilda. Boquete says those responsible, who published false statements attributed to Hermoso after the kiss and have not supported the players over the past year, «should have left yesterday.»
Above all, she supports the players to continue this fight for equality , which she believes will remain in the DNA of Spanish women's football for generations to come. “Total respect to the women who worked very hard before me, years before me, and I think me and my teammates did the right thing, we instigated change,” Boquete said. “Now the players are following suit and setting the same example for the younger ones. This whole process will be in the nature of Spanish players in the future. Tougher character, more professional, no compromises.”
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