Spain’s women’s national soccer team beat England 1-0 on Aug. 20, winning the Women’s World Cup Final. While this was a historic win for Spain, it was overshadowed by a more serious incident that took place on the field after the game ended.
After the game, Luis Rubiales, who was the head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, grabbed star player Jenni Hermoso and kissed her on the lips after handing her a World Cup medal.
This act sparked a worldwide debate about whether or not this was an act of sexual assault. The day after the incident, Rubiales stated that he made a mistake, but he insisted that the kiss was consensual.
“I think it was a sexist act,” said junior Denise Fajardo, an exercise science major. “I do not think she or her teammates are taken seriously or being respected as female athletes. Gender inequality in sports has been going on for years, and at this point, you would think that female athletes would finally be praised for what they do.”
Spain has officially launched a criminal investigation as to whether this was an act of sexual assault. Hermoso also filed a criminal complaint against Rubiales.
FIFA, which is the world’s governing body of soccer, went ahead and suspended Rubiales for 90 days from his job. Spain’s government also sent a complaint to Spain’s Sport Administrative Tribunal in an effort to try and suspend Rubiales.
On Aug. 25, Rubiales escalated the situation even further when he gave a defiant speech at the federation’s Extraordinary General Assembly. The members of the assembly that have not quit yet defended Rubiales, and the federation even threatened legal action against Hermoso, who they are accusing of lying.
The federation ordered Rubiales to resign from his position after the incident. Although he initially refused to resign, he finally complied after multiple investigations were opened and he resigned Sept. 10.
Rubiales was not the only person who got into trouble as the coach of Spain’s women’s team; Jorge Vilda also got fired. This came after Vilda publicly defended Rubiales’ actions.
A new female coach, Montse Tome, has been announced, making her the first female coach Spain has ever had.
Whether Vilda should or should not have been fired has been up for debate.
“He absolutely deserved to be fired,” said junior Jackson Kiser, a business major. “With him being fired, it shows the steps that the Spanish Federation is making towards players feeling safe.”
A majority of the national team’s players decided to start a boycott, saying they would not play again unless more was done about the situation.
Junior Toby Gaynes, a mass communication major, says accountability is key to improving women’s safety in sports.
“Actions speak louder than words,” Gaynes said. “Any man who does something like this should not only be fired but also arrested.”
As of Wednesday, Sept. 20, most of these players ended their boycott. This came only after the Spanish government intervened to try and help create an agreement that would call for immediate changes to the country’s soccer federation.
