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Disputes involving the Spain women's national football team

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The Spain women's national football team has been involved in public disputes, primarily when its players have advocated for improvements and spoken against the national federation (RFEF). For most of its history, the team has had few, long-serving, managers, with the culture of the team under their instruction criticised.

On three occasions members of the team have called for institutional change in the conditions of the national team: once after placing bottom of their group at the FIFA Women's World Cup in 2015, again in 2022, and the latest in 2023 immediately after winning the World Cup. Lola Gallardo and Sandra Paños were the only players signatory to all disputes, with Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Jennifer Hermoso also significantly involved.

Gallardo and Paños were considered retired by the RFEF after the second dispute. The unsettled tensions came to a head when Spain won the 2023 World Cup. During the medal presentation at this event, RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips without consent, causing global outcry and a rapid examination of the conditions the players had complained about; five days later, 81 players signed a letter denouncing abuse in the RFEF and saying they would not play for Spain again until its leadership changed.

2011–2015 complaints under Quereda

Ignacio Quereda was manager of the Spain women's national football team between 1988 and 2015, as well as manager of the Spain women's national under-19 football team between 2002 and 2008. With a poor qualification record into major tournaments, and an unchanging coach despite the growth of women's football, players accused the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) of indifference towards the sport by at least 2011. This year it was also reported that multiple players had refused to continue in the national squad if changes were not made.[1] Quereda also had controversial influence over the Spanish domestic women's league.[2] Spain placed bottom of their group at the 2015 FIFA Women's World Cup, the first time they qualified, despite the team having players with previous youth success. A statement issued by the entire World Cup squad called for a new era in RFEF women's football, specifically asking for Quereda to be replaced and for better tournament preparation,[3] wanting an improved culture in the team.[4] Quereda was replaced with Jorge Vilda, the son of an RFEF official, later that month;[5] senior players were phased out of the squad, which they believe was in retaliation for speaking out.[4]

2021: Breaking the Silence

In October 2021, the documentary Breaking the Silence was released (originally in Spanish as Romper el silencio on Movistar +),[6] detailing Quereda's 27-year reign and featuring interviews with former players about "an alleged culture of rampant fear, bigotry, sexism and homophobia".[4] In it, Quereda was accused further of widespread abuse and homophobia. The players detailed a culture of fear despite his initially outwardly friendly persona, and excessive controlling behaviour towards them, including not permitting them to close their doors until he had checked on everyone and then shut the doors for them. Vicky Losada, an openly LGBT player, and Verónica Boquete said that Quereda "wanted to eradicate" homosexuality, which he said was a sickness, and frequently expressed these views. Players explained they had expressed their concerns about Quereda to the RFEF on multiple occasions but that the then-president, Ángel María Villar, enabled Quereda. They believed that because of this, change was prevented from within, and the public statement from the whole team in 2015 only forced a change in coach due to enough public pressure.[6]

Around the same time as the documentary, the 2021 NWSL abuse scandal came to light, with Boquete confirming that Quereda's abuse had been going on for years by the time she was playing at implicated NWSL clubs in the early 2010s.[4]

Las 15: 2022–23 player dispute

Las 15[7][a]
Player Club
Laia Aleixandri England Manchester City
Ona Batlle England Manchester United / Barcelona
Aitana Bonmatí Barcelona
Mariona Caldentey Barcelona
Nerea Eizagirre Real Sociedad
Lola Gallardo Atlético Madrid
Lucía García England Manchester United
Patricia Guijarro Barcelona
Mapi León Barcelona
Ainhoa Moraza Atlético Madrid
Leila Ouahabi England Manchester City
Sandra Paños Barcelona
Andrea Pereira Mexico Club América
Clàudia Pina Barcelona
Amaiur Sarriegi Real Sociedad

Dispute

In the summer of 2022, senior players in the squad felt that it needed "a fresh start", particularly after going out at the quarter-finals at UEFA Women's Euro 2022 in July.[7] There was discontent among players in the months before, however; in the documentary Alexia: Labor Omnia Vincit, star player Alexia Putellas is shown expressing futility towards the team's situation in April 2022.[9][10] With players having previously experienced malaise at the team's conditions, being one of the favourites at the Euro made it more disappointing when they did not perform.[8] In August 2022, at the first Spain team camp after the Euro,[11] three team captains (Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso – who were both in the 2015 squad – and Patricia Guijarro, in place of the injured 2015 squad veteran Putellas) spoke to manager Jorge Vilda on behalf of the team, saying players "believed a change was needed in both training and tactics" and also had complaints about Vilda being too authoritarian.[8][11] Some players felt that the national team training was not up to the standards of their high-level club team training. The captains also communicated their concerns to Luis Rubiales, the president of the RFEF. With the sense of the dispute entering the press, at the start of September, Paredes and Guijarro spoke at a team press conference to say that they believed in the team and had spoken to Vilda to "convey a message of general unease".[8][11]

Later in September, fifteen national team players (who would quickly come to be identified as "Las 15") each sent the same letter by email to the RFEF, expressing concerns with the conditions and asking to not be called up. Parts of the email were subsequently leaked to the Spanish press, with some outlets also reporting that the players were demanding the resignation of Vilda; the captains disputed this, saying that the leaks were inaccurate and the email had only expressed how the players felt the team could be improved to deliver better results, asserting that they felt the need to take collective action in order to be listened to. Following the leak, all fifteen players, as well as Putellas (who had already not been in the squad since July with injury), tweeted a statement reiterating that they did not want to be called up. The RFEF responded to this by saying they backed Vilda and that the players would have to apologise and rescind their complaints to be allowed back into the squad.[7][8] Several of the fifteen play in England, with British outlet The Guardian reporting in the hours after the leak that the RFEF's response, using "belligerent tone and language", indicated that any resolution would be difficult.[11] It was later revealed that the RFEF had leaked the information.[8][11]

Vilda did not call up any of the fifteen players, or those who publicly supported them, for October 2022 friendlies.[7] When discussing the Spain women's team that played in these international friendlies, media referred to them with the shorthand name "Spain B", describing it as Spain's B team. This team still performed well, including managing to defeat the top-ranked, if injury-stricken, United States team.[12]

Vilda told the media that what he was going through was something he would not wish on anyone, and that what the players were doing to him was unfair.[7] In the following months, Vilda did not discuss the players or their absence.[13] With the RFEF refusing to acknowledge the players or consider their requests, the "flame of 'las 15'" went out, with Relevo saying that the major effect of this was turning them from a unified group into fifteen individuals with similar principles.[14]

Paredes returned to the squad in March 2023.[13] Ahead of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Spanish media reported that "most" of the fifteen had spoken to the RFEF about returning to the squad; in the days after, some players denied this, and it was later revealed that at least seven had not.[14] Three of the fifteen were announced in the preliminary squad for the World Cup in June 2023 – having spoken to the RFEF beforehand but not apologising – as was Putellas after recovering from injury.[13] Putellas had also acted as mediator, reaching out to the national team and the fifteen players individually to try and see the conflict resolved.[15] Other influences on players deciding to return to the team were pushes from agents and personal sponsors, with Aitana Bonmatí also saying that the RFEF internally appeared to be in the process of making positive changes and that she considered this enough.[16] The media was surprised when record goalkeeper Sandra Paños, who reportedly did speak to the RFEF, was not included in the World Cup squad, while her uncapped Barcelona substitute Cata Coll was; it was said that Paños had been omitted as Vilda had settled on Misa Rodríguez as starting goalkeeper in the interim and did not want to introduce tension over competing for the role.[17]

Impact on domestic football

The Women's Clásico rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona had previously not been a serious affair. The rupture in the national team, which saw many Barcelona players denounce the squad while none from Real Madrid did (reported by some to be due to the Real Madrid administration pressuring them not to be involved), created a growing dispute between the clubs, "a new and emerging Barca-Madrid divide" for the women's teams. At the first Women's Clásico after the dispute began, Barcelona's Aitana Bonmatí refused to shake hands with Real Madrid's Misa Rodríguez in a "shocking" moment.[8]

The 2022–23 Supercopa de España Femenina in January 2023 was contested by Barcelona and Real Sociedad, teams whose players comprise more than half of the fifteen. When no RFEF representatives would go to the pitch to award Barcelona their winners' medals and Real Sociedad their runners-up medals, Spanish media reported that sources said the RFEF had not wanted to be seen with the players in the fifteen.[18] The RFEF disputed this, and Barcelona management said that it seemed unlikely as there had not been a tense atmosphere at the match.[19] Afterwards, England and Barcelona player Lucy Bronze shared on Instagram a photograph of her at their winners' ceremony, which prominently showed the back of her shirt and her squad number, 15; she captioned the photograph "Las 15", considered a double entendre expressing her support for the fifteen players. Bronze, a prominent global player and advocate, had previously expressed support for them on other occasions.[20]

2023 Women's World Cup: Rubiales kiss-gate

World Cup final incidents and responses

On 20 August 2023, Spain won the Women's World Cup in a run that included winning a knock-out match for the first ever time and defeating England, the team that had sent them out of the Euro 2022, in the final.[21] After the final whistle, RFEF president Rubiales was spotted grabbing his crotch while standing in the authorities' box near Queen Letizia and next to her 16-year-old daughter Infanta Sofía.[22] During the medal presentation, Rubiales forcibly kissed Hermoso on the lips, with Hermoso saying shortly afterwards that she did not expect nor like the kiss when asked about why it happened. Rubiales then entered the players' dressing room, reportedly throwing his arm around Hermoso and joking about marrying her in Ibiza.[23]

Rubiales was heavily criticised.[24] Having initially described his critics as "idiots", "dickheads", and "losers",[25] Rubiales published an apology video recorded while on a layover returning from Australia; in it, he said that he had no bad intentions and was sorry for distracting from the celebration, saying: "I have to apologise, learn from this, and understand that when you are president you have to be more careful."[26]

Spanish prime minister Pedro Sánchez said that Rubiales' behaviour was unacceptable and the apology was not adequate let alone sufficient, saying "the players did everything to win but Rubiales' behaviour shows that there is still a long way to go for equality";[26] deputy prime minister Yolanda Díaz called for Rubiales' resignation.[27] Equalities minister Irene Montero said the kiss was an everyday form of sexual violence that women need to be protected from, with the Sports minister Miquel Iceta also condemning it.[26] The Association of Spanish Footballers (AFE) issued an official communiqué stating that if Rubiales did not resign immediately, they would demand that the Ley de Deportes (a section on punishable conduct) be applied.[28] The Unión General de Trabajadores (UGT) likewise called for resignation.[29] The Spanish domestic women's league, Liga F, filed a complaint with the Consejo Superior de Deportes (CSD) asking for Rubiales' dismissal and describing him as an "unprecedented international embarrassment".[27][30]

It was revealed on 22 August that Rubiales had begged Hermoso to appear with him in the apology video, and that Vilda unsuccessfully asked Hermoso's family to encourage her to support Rubiales several times.[31] Team captain Ivana Andrés had also been asked to appear in the video: the RFEF considered her one of the players who saw them in a better light, and hoped her presence would be interpreted as being on behalf of the whole squad. Andrés refused, later saying Rubiales was wrong.[32] When Hermoso did not comply, the RFEF sent a false statement in her name to Spanish press agency EFE.[31][33] Hermoso issued a statement through her union, Futpro, saying that the union and her agency would represent her interests; Futpro released a statement saying that they were working on seeing the act punished and sought to see "women footballers [protected] from actions that we believe are unacceptable".[27] Meanwhile, on 24 August, the FIFA Disciplinary Committee opened disciplinary proceedings against him.[34]

Rubiales speech and response

The RFEF called an extraordinary general meeting for 25 August.[27] Although Rubiales leaked to his close circle and the press that he would be resigning during the meeting,[35][36] he instead recanted his words and vehemently refused to stand down.[37] In response, two Spanish men's national team and Real Betis players, Héctor Bellerín[38][39] and Borja Iglesias, publicly denounced Rubiales on social media, with the latter refusing to play for Spain until Rubiales resigned.[40][41] Two former Spain national goalkeepers, 2010 World Cup winner Iker Casillas and David de Gea, also criticised Rubiales' speech on Twitter.[39][40] In response to Rubiales' speech and his refusal to resign, several members of the RFEF Assembly handed in their resignation, including Rafael del Amo (head of the Navarre Football Federation and head of the Female Football National Committee), Javier Landeta (head of the Basque Football Federation), José Ángel Peláez (head of the Cantabrian Football Federation), Salvador Gomar (head of the Valencian Community Football Federation and Vice President of the RFEF) and José Juan Arencibia (head of the Canarian Football Federation).[42][43] In addition, several football clubs from the First and Second Divisions issued statements condemning Rubiales' attitude and called for his resignation, most notably including Real Madrid, Barcelona, Athletic Bilbao, Sevilla, Valencia, Celta Vigo, Osasuna, Cádiz, Alavés, Getafe, Granada, Real Sociedad, Girona, Villarreal, Real Betis, Mallorca and Las Palmas.[44]

Due to Rubiales' refusal to step down, the Spanish government filed a complaint in the Sports Administrative Court for "serious misconduct" with the aim of obtaining authorisation to suspend him from his duties.[45][46] Later that day, 81 players, including all 23 from the Women's World Cup-winning squad, released a joint statement to boycott the national team until the RFEF changes leadership.[47] Hermoso followed this up with a full statement accounting her experience of the incidents, as well as mentioning previous and ongoing abuses in the environment of the national squad.[48]

On 26 August, FIFA suspended Rubiales for 90 days.[49] On the same day, the entire coaching staff of the women's national team bar manager and Rubiales ally Jorge Vilda resigned en masse in protest.[50]

Notes

  1. ^ One of the captains, Irene Paredes, did not send the letter after feeling singled-out following the prior press conference. Alexia Putellas did not send it due to being out with injury. Both have publicly supported the fifteen.[8]

References

  1. ^ Doyle, Jennifer (30 June 2011). "Why Spain is absent from the World Cup". FOX Soccer. Retrieved 9 June 2012.
  2. ^ Quarrel because of the new Superliga. Público, 3 June 2009
  3. ^ "Women's World Cup: Spain players call for coach to be sacked". BBC Sport. 19 June 2015. Retrieved 20 June 2015.
  4. ^ a b c d "'People are not afraid to speak anymore' - Boquete opens up on the player revolt against abusive coaches". Goal. 2022-02-23. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  5. ^ Saffer, Paul (30 July 2015). "Vilda in as Quereda ends 27-year Spain reign". UEFA. Retrieved 30 July 2015.
  6. ^ a b "Spain's female footballers accuse ex-coach Ignacio Quereda of abuse and homophobia". GiveMeSport. 2021-10-30. Retrieved 2023-08-23.
  7. ^ a b c d e "Explained: Spain women's team 'mutiny' & why players have resigned from national team | Goal.com". www.goal.com. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g Herrero, Laia Cervelló (20 January 2023). "This Barca-Madrid rivalry is getting intense — and the dispute driving it remains unsolved". The Athletic. Archived from the original on 24 January 2023. Retrieved 24 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Alexia Putellas y el fútbol sin adjetivos: las confesiones que deja en su documental". ElHuffPost (in Spanish). 2022-12-06. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  10. ^ "El momento de Alexia Putellas con su familia antes de la Eurocopa que ya reflejaba la situación de la selección española". 20minutos (in Spanish). 2022-12-02. Retrieved 2022-12-07.
  11. ^ a b c d e "Mutiny in Spain squad as 15 footballers refuse to play in bid to oust head coach". the Guardian. 2022-09-22. Retrieved 2022-11-11.
  12. ^ "Unbalanced USWNT midfield is cause for concern at SheBelieves Cup". The18. Retrieved 2023-02-03.
  13. ^ a b c Lowe, Sid (2023-06-12). "Women's World Cup: Spain pick three of 15 players who quit national side in 2022". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
  14. ^ a b "'Las 15' pasan a ser 'Las 7': ni han mandado el famoso mail ni dan su brazo a torcer". Relevo (in Spanish). 2023-06-09. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
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  16. ^ "Explicando el cambio de rumbo de Aitana Bonmatí y su regreso a la Selección". Relevo (in Spanish). 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  17. ^ "Sandra Paños contemplaba no ser convocada por Jorge Vilda". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). 2023-06-13. Retrieved 2023-06-14.
  18. ^ "Barcelona bizarrely forced to award own medals after winning Spanish Women's Super Cup". GiveMeSport. 2023-01-23. Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  19. ^ Irigoyen, Juan I. (2023-01-23). "Polémica por la entrega de medallas a las campeonas de la Supercopa". El País (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-01-25.
  20. ^ esport3 (2023-01-24). "La indirecta de Lucy Bronze el dia de la final de la Supercopa". CCMA (in Catalan). Retrieved 2023-01-25.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  21. ^ Sanders, Emma (20 August 2023). "Women's World Cup final: England lose to Spain in Sydney". BBC Sport. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  22. ^ Neumann, Sean (21 August 2023). "Spain's soccer president criticized after grabbing his crotch, kissing player post-World Cup: 'Unacceptable'". People. Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  23. ^ Filipovic, Jill (22 August 2023). "Opinion: This is about far more than an unwanted kiss on the lips". CNN. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  24. ^ Snape, Jack; Kassam, Ashifa (21 August 2023). "Spanish football president's kiss sparks outrage after Women's World Cup final". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 21 August 2023.
  25. ^ Clench, Samuel (26 August 2023). "Spain's world champion team revolts against federation president Luis Rubiales as he refuses to resign over unwanted kiss". News.com.au.
  26. ^ a b c "Luis Rubiales' apology for kissing Jenni Hermoso 'not enough' says Spain's prime minister". BBC Sport. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  27. ^ a b c d "Luis Rubiales: Jennifer Hermoso's union says 'unacceptable' kiss should not go unpunished". BBC Sport. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  28. ^ Arés, Ruby (22 August 2023). "AFE: "Si Rubiales no dimite, exigimos que se aplique la Ley del Deporte"" [ASF: "If Rubiales does not resign, we shall demand that Sports Law be applied"]. Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 22 August 2023.
  29. ^ Jiménez, Mayca (23 August 2023). "FUTPRO, sindicato que representa a Jenni Hermoso, pide que los actos de Rubiales no queden "impunes"". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  30. ^ Requena Aguilar, Ana (23 August 2023). "La Liga Femenina pide la inhabilitación de Rubiales ante el Consejo Superior de Deportes" [Women's League asks that Rubiales be inhabilitated before the High Sports Council]. ElDiario.es (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  31. ^ a b Carbajo, María (22 August 2023). "Rubiales rogó a Jenni Hermoso que pidiera disculpas junto a él y la RFEF falseó las declaraciones de la jugadora" [Rubiales begged Jenni Hermoso to apologise alongside him and RFEF forged player's statements]. ABC (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  32. ^ Riquelme, Sandra (23 August 2023). "La capitana Ivana Andrés también rechazó salir en el vídeo con Rubiales". Relevo (in Spanish). Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  33. ^ Barlow, Ruairidh (22 August 2023). "Spain put out fake Jenni Hermoso statement following kiss, Luis Rubiales asked her for joint statement". Football España. Retrieved 24 August 2023.
  34. ^ "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee opens disciplinary proceedings against Luis Rubiales, President of the Spanish FA". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 24 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  35. ^ Díaz, José Félix (24 August 2023). "Luis Rubiales to step down as RFEF president on Friday". Marca. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  36. ^ Nakrani, Sachin (24 August 2023). "Spanish FA head Luis Rubiales to resign as Fifa investigate World Cup final kiss". TheGuardian.com. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  37. ^ "Luis Rubiales refuses to step down as Spanish football federation president". BBC Sport. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  38. ^ Miserachs, Jaume (25 August 2023). "Héctor Bellerín tira con bala contra Rubiales". Mundo Deportivo (in Spanish). Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  39. ^ a b Mukherjee, Soham (25 August 2023). "'My ears are bleeding' - David De Gea, Iker Casillas and Hector Bellerin blast Spain chief Luis Rubiales after he refuses to resign over Jenni Hermoso forced kiss at Women's World Cup". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  40. ^ a b Kirkland, Alex; Faez, Rodrigo (25 August 2023). "Luis Rubiales refuses to quit in rant over unsolicited kiss". ESPN. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  41. ^ Burton, Chris (25 August 2023). "Spain striker Borja Iglesias announces decision to boycott national team in protest against Luis Rubiales refusing to resign". Goal.com. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  42. ^ Arés, Ruby; Sainz, Manu (25 August 2023). "Oleada de dimisiones de barones federativos". Diario AS (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  43. ^ "Salvador Gomar cesa como vicepresidente de la RFEF". Alicante Plaza (in Spanish). Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  44. ^ "Todos unidos: Los 20 clubes de la Liga de España condenan la actuación "impropia y desafortunada" de Luis Rubiales". El País (in Spanish). 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  45. ^ "Luis Rubiales: Spanish government attempts to force out Spanish FA president over Jenni Hermoso controversy". Sky Sports. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  46. ^ "Luis Rubiales: Spanish government takes FA chief to tribunal after World Cup final kiss". BBC Sport. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  47. ^ "Jenni Hermoso 'didn't consent' to Luis Rubiales kiss as Spain players refuse to play". BBC Sport. 25 August 2023. Retrieved 25 August 2023.
  48. ^ Hermoso, Jennifer [@Jennihermoso] (25 August 2023). "Official Announcement. August 25th,2023. (sic)" (Tweet). Retrieved 25 August 2023 – via Twitter.
  49. ^ "The FIFA Disciplinary Committee provisionally suspends Luis Rubiales, president of the RFEF". FIFA.com. Fédération Internationale de Football Association. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  50. ^ "Luis Rubiales: Spain coaching staff resign over Hermoso kiss row". BBC Sport. 26 August 2023. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
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