Sarina Wiegman Slams Spanish FA and Luis Rubiales During UEFA Presentation
England Women’s manager Sarina Wiegman took the opportunity to show her support for the Spain Women’s team during a UEFA presentation ceremony on Thursday. Wiegman won the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year award after she guided the Lionesses to victory at Euro 2022 last summer.
The Spanish FA and Luis Rubiales have come under fire after Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the celebrations following Spain’s win over England in the Women’s World Cup final earlier this month. Rubiales, who vowed not to resign and even threatened legal action against Hermoso, is currently suspended by FIFA.
After receiving her trophy from UEFA president Aleksander Ceferin at the presentation ceremony in Monaco, Wiegman took the opportunity to express her ‘hurt’ by the reaction from the Spanish FA and to stress that the fallout from Spain’s victory shows there is ‘still a long way to go in women’s football and in society’.
‘Can I send a message, please?’ Wiegman said to the audience after receiving her award. ‘Well, first of all, thanks everyone for voting, especially of course colleagues, it’s really special, I’m very honoured. Also thanks to everyone who’s involved with the Lionesses, of course the team, the incredible team, players and staff and the support from the FA.
‘But it also feels a little different. We all know the issues around the Spanish team, it really hurts me as a coach, as a mother of two daughters, as a wife, and as a human being, it shows the game has grown so much but there’s also still a long way to go in women’s football and in society.
‘I would like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team, the team that played at the World Cup such great football that everyone enjoyed. This team deserves to be celebrated and deserves to be listened to. I’m going to give them a big applause and I hope you will join me.’
Support for Spain Women’s Team
Wiegman’s speech was met with applause from the audience and her words have been widely praised for showing solidarity with Spain Women’s team. The incident involving Rubiales has sparked a wider debate about sexism in football and Wiegman’s words have been seen as a powerful statement about the need for change in the sport.
The Spanish FA has been criticised for its handling of the incident and for its lack of support for Hermoso. The organisation has since apologised for its conduct but many feel that more needs to be done to ensure that incidents like this are not repeated in future.
Women’s Football Growing
Despite this incident, women’s football is growing in popularity around the world and Wiegman’s speech was a reminder of how far the sport has come in recent years. The Women’s World Cup was watched by millions of people around the world and it has helped to raise awareness of women’s football and the issues that still need to be addressed in order to make it an equal playing field.
Wiegman’s speech was a reminder that there is still work to be done in order to make sure that women’s football is treated with respect and that incidents like this are not repeated in future. Her words were a powerful statement about the need for change in the sport and it is hoped that they will help to ensure that women’s football continues to grow and thrive in years to come.
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