2023-09-23 13:41:37
Much more than a victory for Spanish footballers. By winning 3 goals to 2 in Sweden for their first match in the Nations League, the world champions took the lead in their group. Above all, they continue to leave their mark and demonstrate their solidarity, almost a month to the day after their title and the so-called “Rubiales Affair”.
Without Jenni Hermoso, not retained by the new coach Montse Tomé who explained that he wanted to “protect” her after being the victim of the forced kiss, but with nine of the 23 titular world champions, the players continued their fight against sexual assault and macho behavior . “These days have been difficult for all of us, but we have shown that we are a real team that wants to represent our country and that fights until the end,” summed up scorer Athenea Del Castillo on Spanish public television.
A common banner with Sweden
Just before kick-off, the 22 players – both Spanish and Swedish – posed behind a common banner bearing the slogan “Se Acabo” (“enough”), proclaiming that the fight for the Spanish internationals is “a global fight” for equality between men and women, in sport and in society. Just before, the Spanish women had raised their fists in their official photo to reveal bandages on their wrists.
Most had written the same message “Se Acabo” in marker, while others had simply marked “Jenni” or Jennifer Hermoso’s number 10. Bandages that we were able to observe among many other teams involved in the Nations League this Friday. This was the case for Scotland and England, who met in Sunderland, the Netherlands and Belgium, who faced each other in Leuven or even Italy, Switzerland and Denmark.
No “Se Acabo” brandished by the French
The Blues, as since the start of this Rubiales affair, continue to remain very discreet on this subject. Few of them have spoken out individually and publicly. There was Eugénie Le Sommer, providing her support for Jennifer Hermoso on social networks. ” It’s not acceptable ! I’m with you,” she wrote on Twitter at the end of August.
A few days later, on September 1, the players’ union posted a message. “Through the UNFP, footballers playing in France provide their unconditional support to Jenni Hermoso and to all women victims of ordinary machismo that we must condemn and, above all, eradicate forever ”, we read.
“We express ourselves among ourselves, but rarely publicly”
But Friday evening in Valenciennes, where they beat Portugal 2 goals to 0, the Blues did not consider it necessary to mark the occasion. “It bothers me that we put above all the extra-sporting aspect before talking about the field,” Wendie Renard told AFP on September 20. Today with this title, they are even more legitimate to ask for change on things that do not suit them, it’s well done on their part.”
“Perhaps these questions do not come up, or less in France than abroad,” explained Grace Geyoro before the World Cup in comments reported by the Team. We see the subjects, we express ourselves among ourselves, but rarely publicly.”
A timid involvement, ultimately like their coach Hervé Renard. “Only football interests me, the rest tires me,” he told the media in Valenciennes on the eve of this match. I don’t even know about it, I don’t read that information, even if I can understand that there are things. I’m focused and I love football, the rest is not up to me. »
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