Spanish Women’s National Team call for radical restructuring of Football Federation after ‘Kissgate’ scandal

Spanish Women's team's repeated protests have landed them in legal trouble.

Spanish Women’s National Team call for radical restructuring of Football Federation after ‘Kissgate’ scandal

Spain celebrates the World Cup (Source: via AP)

The Spanish Women’s Football team has again made the headlines and seems to stay in it the way things stand. The National team has recently been crowned as World Champions and has since been in the news, following crude actions by their FA President, Luis Rubiales. Now, La Furia Roja Femeni has called for the restructuring of RFEF.

Jenni Hermoso was non-consensually kissed by the President during the World Cup final award ceremony. Since then she has sued the man for sexual assault. Ironically, she was also captured joking about it on the team bus, showing two sides of a dark coin. The RFEF (Royal Spanish Football Federation) is scrutinized as the Spanish Women ask for hierarchical changes. They feel the resignation of Rubiales is not enough! The system of misogyny cannot be shifted, and more significant measures have to be taken.

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The players have called for “fundamental changes to the RFEF’s leadership” and insist on structural reforms within the office of the president and the secretary general. This includes the dismissal of the World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda, who had earlier voiced his support for Rubiales. Montse Tome has been appointed as the new manager. Almost 41 players have resigned from the National team in the wake of the current protests

FS Video
https://twitter.com/ShehuGana2/status/1702201760528338988?s=20

Meanwhile, Rubiales has maintained his defense. Describing it as an ‘impulsive, macho act’. He claimed that the act was consensual. However, the 46-year-old has since been charged with coercion in the Spanish Penal Code. The team calls for changes in the wake of a new era as Spain looks to emerge as the new face of the sport.

Related: WATCH: Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales announces his resignation on Piers Morgan interview over ‘Kissgate’, blames the “relentless pressure” for the decision

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is contemplating legal action against the female players of Spain’s national team who have taken a stand by refusing to participate in upcoming matches until their demands for substantial changes within the federation are met. This protest follows the controversial incident in which former RFEF President Luis Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso forward without her consent during the August FIFA Women’s World Cup final presentation.

Jorge Vilda
Jorge Vilda (Source: ESPN)

Despite talks, players stand firm in their boycott of the Nations League games, posing a challenge for new coach Montse Tome, who must field a competitive lineup without stars like Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati. On September 15, Putellas and 39 other players called for significant reforms within the Spanish football governing body.

The players argue that the departures of Rubilales and Vilda are insufficient to create a safe and respectful environment for women within the squad. However, this revelation has not been well-received by the RFEF leadership. They are reportedly considering legal action against the protesting players for alleged “coercion and slander.” Coercion is related to the players’ demands for resignations, while slander pertains to the allegations against RFEF officials.

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