A new documentary has been published this early November on Netflix about what happened inside the Spanish national team after the Euro 2022 and the win of the World Cup 2023.
How did the RFEF pressure the players and divide their team to have power over them?
It all started after the end of Euro 2022 when 15 players asked for better management for the first team. They wanted a new manager and more respect for them. Until they had made any changes, players were asked not to be selected.
This was not an option for Rubiales (The ex RFEF president). For him, it was clearly about power and having Jorge Vilda as the team manager.
During this one-hour-and-a-half documentary, it is evident that the RFEF always backed up the coach, their president, and, in no other way, the players. In these 90 minutes, we can see the testimony of Sandra Panos, the three captains, Alexia Putellas, Jennifer Hermoso, Irene Paredes, and Ivana Andres, the designated captain, during the WC 2023.
The players were facing an unbothered wall, and whatever they said would not work, even though the coach acted weirdly. For example, the coach would talk to the players at night to see if they had some people in their room and know what was being said between them.
In the meantime, male players had all the needs that they wanted. Players like Sergio Ramos would get it from the president if he asked for a luxury watch.
This misbehavior from the RFEF was not a surprise for the women's team. Ignacio Quereda, who was assigned for 27 years as a manager, was treating the players like it was " little girls."
This documentary showed us that the three captains stood together during the whole tournament, even though their teammates were not united because of their division, which occurred after the letter that 15 players published.
The world champion group had some tensions. Although the division was clear, they kept fighting on the field to achieve the biggest goal of their careers: winning the World Cup.
They finally achieved their goal. Players like Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati, Jennifer Hermoso, and most veterans were sure that after winning the World Cup, it would be their time to make their voices heard.
However, after achieving their goal, the men in charge did not hesitate to celebrate their achievement. Rubiales and Vilda celebrated as if it were theirs.
Rubiales didn't hesitate to show the world his true face—a man who could not handle himself. The ex-president of the Spanish federation did not hesitate to touch any woman or even forcibly kiss some players, all of this in front of the whole world.
Then, in the middle of the trophy ceremony, he did the unthinkable: Rubiales forced a kiss on the Spanish attacker, Jenni Hermoso.
The next day, that gesture made headlines around the world. The Spanish players were initially shocked to hear that.
But with all the celebration that was going on, they were not sure how to react.
However Irene Paredes said that "We gradually, we realised what was unfolding. The media pressure mounted, and we knew something serious had happened,”.
Jenni Hermoso could not celebrate, as the federation pressured her to declare that this gesture was mutual.
The federation kept leaking videos of the forwards smiling and joking about the situation to show the world that nothing serious had happened. Multiple RFEF representatives pressured the player and her family to speak publicly to save the president from this downfall.
But the contrary has happened, Rubiales said at a conference in front of an RFEF representative that he would not resign and would remain president.
It was clear to all the players that they would not let this situation pass them by and needed to act. Alexia Putellas made sure of this and stated in a tweet, "Se Acabo" (it's over). After her tweet, her teammates followed and tweeted the same thing. Shortly after, multiple international players communicated their support for the world champions.
With that, 81 players, including the world champions, signed a mutual letter saying they wouldn't wear the national jersey until the RFEF president and the men standing with him resigned.
"We needed structural change. We couldn't continue like this,” argued Putellas.
This letter created a scandal that was covered worldwide and had an exceptional impact on women's rights worldwide. This media coverage helped the brave women dismantle the Spanish Football Federation representative. Netflix has given a voice to women who achieved the best triumph in their careers and were overshadowed by an event that should never have happened.
This showed that Hermoso and her teammates stood bravely against this behavior and all the pressure the RFEF system had put her through. She was anxious, but she stood up bravely, and for that, she was rewarded last month with the Socrates prize during the 68th Ballon d'Or ceremony. This was her speech.
"I speak in the plural because this award is not only mine, but also belongs to all my teammates, as equality is not always a reality. This is why we work every day with hope and determination to ensure that women’s football finds itself in a better place for future generations.”
Theatre du Chatelet in Paris on October 28, 2024. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP) (Photo by FRANCK FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
