Spain's Women's World Cup victory was marred by a sexism scandal when football federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso. While Rubiales claimed the kiss was consensual, Hermoso denied it, leading to protests and Rubiales' conviction for sexual assault. In reaction, 81 players, including all World Cup winners, announced that they would not play for Spain until Rubiales was removed. The boycott ended after the RFEF promised significant changes. Discussions suggest progress has been made, but the true impact of these changes remains compared to the level of player advocacy.
Luis Rubiales, the country's football federation president, kissed striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips. This kiss was claimed to be consensual by Rubiales, but Hermoso disagreed, claiming it was not consented. This initiated a storm of criticism, leading to widespread protests and a court case that found him guilty of sexual assault. The incident stained what should have been one of the happiest days for Hermoso, prompting her and other players to boycott playing for Spain until substantial changes were made.
The players, including all 23 World Cup winners, stated they wouldn’t play for Spain again while Rubiales was in charge. Amanda Gutierrez, the president of Futpro, noted that the players acted bravely, despite being terrified, as their careers were at stake.
Collection
[
|
...
]