[ad_1]
Women football players worldwide have voiced solidarity with Spanish forward Jenni Hermoso after the head of the Spanish football federation, Luis Rubiales, kissed her after their victory at the Women’s World Cup.
The Spanish national women’s team signed a joint letter with Hermoso, who said she did not consent to the kiss, saying they would no longer represent their country unless the current leadership of the football federation is removed.
Further afield, women in football and their male counterparts have formed a chorus condemning Rubiales’ actions and his refusal to step down.
Former Germany goalkeeper and two-time Women’s World Cup winner Nadine Angerer said the incident has deeply affected players.
“It’s absolutely disgusting what happened,” Angerer told DW’s Gerhard Elfers on Monday.
“You just won a World Cup. You are happy, you worked such a long time for this moment. And at the biggest event for women worldwide, everybody speaks about one man.”
Players affected worldwide
Angerer is now the goalkeeping coach for the Portland Thorns in the United States.
She said the young women in her team have been heartened by the worldwide solidarity from seasoned football players.
“They are shocked, of course,” she said.
“But at the same time, they’re very proud that the solidarity worldwide is with Jenni Hermoso.”
Numerous teams have also held banners in support of Hermoso, including Atletico Madrid where she got her professional start and Pachuca in Mexico, where she currently plays.
More respect needed in women’s football
Angerer said more needs to be done to make sure the men connected to women’s football demonstrate “awareness and just normal respect.”
This is a position echoed by FIFA, which has provisionally suspended Rubiales and ordered him and not to contact Hermoso or those around her.
The suspension will last for 90 days, pending the outcome of FIFA disciplinary proceedings that will determine wither Rubiales violated “the basic rules of decent conduct” and behaved “in a way that brings the sport into disrepute.”
Rubiales could also face consquences at home after Spanish prosecutors opened a sexual assault case on Monday.
The head of Spain’s sports regulatory body Victor Francos, who is also the country’s sports minister, will also bring Rubiales before a tribunal, which could potentially lead to him being suspended from his position as head of the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
“I think we can say it is the ‘MeToo’ of Spanish football,” Francos told journalists last week.
“There has to be a change,” he added. “The government wants to warn, to be very clear and say that there are things that can’t happen again.”
Edited by: Louis Oelofse
[ad_2]
Source link
