Spain’s women’s soccer team is lastly getting consideration for its play on the area, quite than the conduct of its officers.
Spain adopted up its Women’s World Cup title in August with victory in the inaugural Women’s Nations League on Wednesday, and this time the speak in Spain is about the nice performances of the staff and never about an undesirable kiss that ruined the staff’s World Cup celebrations.
The kiss by former soccer federation president Luis Rubiales on the lips of participant Jenni Hermoso throughout the World Cup awards ceremony sparked widespread outrage in Spain and ignited considered one of the sport’s worst crises. Rubiales ultimately resigned, and prosecutors later accused him of sexual assault.
The scandal overshadowed the staff’s performances and its historic achievement in what was solely its third World Cup look.
There was no controversy this time after another huge victory, solely reward for the women who triumphed once more and have been lastly being acknowledged for his or her expertise, not their battle towards sexism or lack of equality.
“Invincible,” mentioned the sports activities each day Marca in considered one of the many front-page headlines that includes the women’s nationwide staff on Thursday, each on the sports activities and common information dailies.
The staff was formally welcomed by Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez in Madrid, the place captain Irene Paredes reiterated requires extra help for women’s sports activities.
“I take this opportunity to talk about the need to support women’s sports with more than just words,” she mentioned. “We need laws that protect us and help us.”
On the area, Paredes and her teammates have been drawing comparisons to a few of the nice gamers who helped Spain thrive in males’s soccer for a few years, together with a few of those that led La Roja to consecutive titles in the 2008 European Championship, the 2010 World Cup and the 2012 Euro.
Many native sports activities pundits have been fast to make the hyperlink between the women’s staff’s success to these achieved by Xavi Hernández, Andrés Iniesta and Sergio Busquets.
France coach Hervé Renard made the similar connection after his squad was overwhelmed by the Spaniards on Wednesday.
“I performed towards Spain whereas teaching Morocco in 2018, towards a midfield with Iniesta and Busquets, and it was the similar feeling,” he mentioned.
The 2-0 win over France got here in entrance of a file crowd of 32,657 at La Cartuja Stadium in Seville, the largest ever to observe Spain’s women’s nationwide staff in the nation.
“For us, it’s a pleasure to be able to win trophies here in front of our fans, to feel their support and I think it goes further than that — this is proving that women’s football is the future,” Hermoso mentioned.
By reaching the Nations League ultimate, the Spanish women additionally secured their sport at the Paris Games for what can be its first-ever participation in the Olympics, when it’s going to attempt to construct on its momentum.
“It will be an honor to welcome you here again with a medal after the Games,” Sánchez mentioned.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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