'A different world' - Spain's transformation after World Cup fallout

Yahoo

14 hours ago

The last time Spain played in the final of a major tournament, it was a watershed moment for the country.
Not only did they win their first major women's trophy, but the players were about to find themselves at the centre of a sexism scandal.
Instead of celebrating their historic World Cup victory in 2023, when they defeated England 1-0, Spain's triumph was overshadowed by controversy.
But nearly two years later, La Roja are preparing to play the Lionesses once again in Sunday's Euro 2025 final.
What has unfolded in the meantime? And how different has this tournament been for Spain?
How did we get here?
Just as Spain were getting ready to lift the World Cup trophy, Luis Rubiales - the country's football federation president - kissed striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips.
It was a kiss that Rubiales said was consensual, but Hermoso said was not.
What followed was a storm of criticism, widespread protests and a court case that found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault.
Hermoso said the incident had "stained one of the happiest days" of her life.
In the immediate aftermath, 81 players - including all 23 World Cup winners - said they would not play for Spain again while Rubiales was in charge.
"It was a difficult period for the Spanish players," England midfielder Ella Toone said on Friday.
"What they did in the World Cup, for that [the Rubiales incident] then to be the main talking point, I think was really tough for them and was something they shouldn't have had to go through."
The boycott only ended almost a month later when Spain's football association, the RFEF, promised "profound changes" following a lengthy meeting with players and government officials.
'A different world'
Speaking to BBC Sport last month, Amanda Gutierrez - the president of players' union Futpro - explained that the RFEF promised to improve the players' working conditions and provide equal access to the same resources the men's side had.
But have those changes been evident at Euro 2025?
"It's a different world," Spanish football journalist Guillem Balague said. "The players are saying 'we only have to worry now about playing', so that's completely new."
Spain's performances have certainly reflected that attitude as they defeated Portugal, Belgium and Italy by a combined score of 14-3 in the group stage.
Montse Tome's side then saw off a stubborn Switzerland side in the quarter-finals, before scoring an extra-time winner against eight-time winners Germany to reach their first European Championship final.
Spain played 120 minutes in their semi-final and played a day later than England, but former midfielder Vicky Losada said their mental resilience will help them overcome their lack of recovery time.
"Knowing them, straight after the game against Germany they will be thinking about doing anything they can to be ready for this game," Losada told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.
"They have 24 hours less to recover but the mental strength of the girls, because of their experience, because of all they have won, is massive.
"The players on the team are winners. For a lot of them, the only major tournament they are missing is the Euros. They know they have one opportunity."
Sara Alcaraz Guiterrez, a reporter for national Spanish radio, said this is the first tournament since the 2023 World Cup where she hasn't had to "speak about the federation and what is happening inside".
"The players are more relaxed because they know everyone in Spain is speaking just about the Euros. It's like 'finally'."
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'Tome cannot do any better'
Former coach Jorge Vilda may have delivered World Cup glory to Spain, but he will be remembered in a negative light by some for his role in their triumphant run.
The head coach, who was booed by some fans after the final, had survived a player revolt before the tournament and was viewed as one of Rubiales' closest allies.
By his side on the touchline was Montse Tome, his assistant coach who became his successor a few weeks after the World Cup final.
There were concerns about her appointment, with many viewing it as a continuation of the previous regime, while she had no previous experience as a head coach.
With Tome at the helm, Spain won the inaugural Women's Nations League in February 2024, but their fourth-place finish five months later at the Paris Olympics was deemed a failure.
However, their journey to the Euro final, and the unity within the squad, seem to have changed perceptions of the former Spain midfielder.
"She cannot do any better in terms of results," said Balague. "She's not friends with them [the players]. She's not supposed to be either.
"You hear her talk and she makes a lot of sense. She's got a clear idea of how to maximize the potential.
"She's not a representative of the previous regime, but she was present. Even if that's in the back of the mind of anybody, you look around and it's a completely different place. So I don't think there is a lot of hard feelings about where she's been, because she's been quite fair."
'The players want to move on'
Not only is Sunday's final in Basel an opportunity for Spain to win their first European crown, but it's also a chance to celebrate achieving a major trophy without a cloud of controversy hanging over them.
"It's something external that happened at the time," Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas said.
"Now we're focused on giving our best to win this title. We're not thinking about celebrations or non-celebrations; we're only thinking about being prepared and doing well so that we can get closer to our goal."
The culture within the Spanish camp also appears to have changed drastically from the World Cup in 2023, when they arrived in New Zealand with a divided squad amid a backdrop of unrest around then head coach Vilda.
"The things have changed," Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati added. "There's a very healthy and united group. We can see that on the pitch. We all agree on this."
Spain's Euro 2025 squad includes 11 World-Cup winning players, although Hermoso was not selected by Tome.
Balague explained: "They want to move on, and it makes sense,"
"The players I've spoken to, they all have mixed feelings. They [Rubiales and the RFEF] took the celebrations away from them, but they changed our society and the way we think about women's football, and also women in society.
"They have advanced society. Nobody will give them a trophy for that."
Former Lionesses forward Ellen White was part of Sarina Wiegman's side beaten by Spain in the 2023 World Cup final, but said this group of Spanish players deserve their moment in the spotlight.
"The controversy was so horrible. I felt for the whole team after the World Cup final," White told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They weren't able to celebrate and have that monumental moment.
"This final brings them the chance to create absolute history. Enjoy it, have nothing else to think about and if they were to win to just bask in the absolute joy of winning a tournament together as a group of individuals. And hopefully the whole of Spain will be celebrating what they have done.
"They deserve this. They have worked so hard and it would be an absolutely amazing moment for the whole team."
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