United States women’s national team forward Megan Rapinoe has strongly criticized the recent incident involving Spain’s football federation chief Luis Rubiales and Women’s World Cup champion Jenni Hermoso, labeling it as a glaring example of “misogyny and sexism within that federation and that individual.”
Spain’s victory over England in the Women’s World Cup final was marred by a forced kiss during the medal ceremony, prompting criticism from many quarters. Rubiales initially dismissed the criticism by calling those who questioned his actions “idiots and stupid people.” However, he issued an apology subsequently.
Immediately after Spain’s victory, Rubiales also made an offensive gesture by grabbing his crotch, an action witnessed by 16-year-old Princess Infanta Sofía and Queen Letizia of Spain.
Rapinoe, who has been a prominent advocate for equal prize money and improved conditions for women’s soccer, expressed her concerns about the deeper issues within Spanish football. She stated, “There was another picture that signals such a deep level of misogyny and sexism in that federation and in that man [Rubiales] at the final whistle, just grabbing his crotch.”
Rapinoe emphasized the gravity of the situation, saying, “On the biggest stage, where you should be celebrating, Jenni has to be physically assaulted by this guy.”
Reflecting on the challenges that women in soccer endure, Rapinoe pointed out, “It made me think about how much we are required to endure. Think how much that Spanish team had to shoulder: Some of the players who stood up way back last year [to protest treatment by their coach and federation] still aren’t on the team.”
Spain’s women’s team faced turmoil last year due to player complaints about the culture under coach Jorge Vilda. Although Rubiales supported Vilda, some improvements were made in the conditions of the players, including financial support for bringing family members to the World Cup.
Rapinoe also commented on the broader issue of gender equality in soccer, saying, “What I’ve realized for a long time is that we’re playing two games at the same time. One, we’re playing all against each other. And then the other one, we’re all playing together to win equality and progress and what we deserve.”
Rapinoe expressed her commitment to pushing for equality in women’s soccer, even if it comes at the expense of the United States’ dominance, stating, “We want these other teams to be paid equally, and to have the resources that they deserve, and to not be subjected to misogyny and racism and sexism.”
In addition to Rapinoe’s condemnation, Spain’s player’s union called for action against Rubiales if he does not resign, citing Spanish sports law that sanctions acts that damage someone’s dignity or create an atmosphere of intimidation based on unwanted conduct related to gender or race.
Originally posted 2023-08-07 20:48:33.
