England midfielder Georgia Stanway says Luis Rubiales’ resignation from his role as president of the Spanish football association (RFEF) should represent the start of a movement for player-driven change in the women’s game.
Rubiales kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips after Spain’s Women’s World Cup final win on August 20. Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual but Rubiales insists it was.
After three weeks of criticism and calls for his resignation, Rubiales confirmed that he “can’t continue” in his position during an interview on Piers Morgan Uncensored on Sunday.
Stanway, whose England team-mates lost 1-0 to Spain in the final in Sydney, welcomed the Rubiales development but said players in the women’s game must continue to push for change as a “powerful” collective.
“There’s been an outcome now but we don’t want this to be the end of something, we want this to be the beginning of something,” Stanway told reporters ahead of Bayern Munich’s season opener on Friday said.
“Everybody’s fought and we’ve fought as a women’s football group; we’ve fought as players, we’ve fought as staff, we’ve fought as journalists for the outcome to be what it is. The outcome is what we want but we want this to be the start of something not the end of something.
“We want to be able to have these conversations, feel comfortable about having these conversations, feel comfortable in your workplace to be able to stand up for whatever you think is right. That’s where we’re so good in the women’s game: together we’re so powerful and together we can make change. This can be the start of something going forward where we can be united as a team to continue to push for what’s right.
“We have a resolution but this is only the start of something that could be very, very positive for the women’s game.”
Spain are set to play their first match since the Rubiales kiss when they face Sweden on September 22.
Following the incident, 81 Spanish players made themselves unavailable for the national team until changes to RFEF leadership were made.
Sweden defender Magdalena Eriksson said she expected her side to face an “empowered” Spain in 11 days’ time.
“I personally feel for the Spanish team,” she said. “I think they made the biggest achievement of their life and the focus had to be on that for the following week instead of them being able to just celebrate and enjoy themselves. They had to focus on these kind of topics.
“But it shows the power is with the players. I think what has been proven now since the reaction of everyone, it shows the players have a lot of power and are united and they speak up, and I think that’s a positive thing.
“I’m hoping it will be an empowered Spanish women’s national team now. They’ve achieved their objective, they spoke up, they were clear, they supported Jenni Hermoso. I think the whole world supported Jenni Hermoso in a really beautiful way. I think they will be empowered, and coming off the back of an amazing achievement in the World Cup so I think it will be a really good game.”
Hermoso played in her first match since the World Cup final on Sunday, coming off the bench for the final five minutes of her club side Pachuca’s 2-1 victory over Pumas.
The 33-year-old unveiled a mural in the hallway of Pachuca’s Hidalgo Stadium before kick off and wore her World Cup winners medal as she took to the pitch to be presented with a framed shirt. Supporters had also created a giant banner adorned with her lifting the World Cup trophy.
(Photo by Hector Vivas/Getty Images)
Rubiales’ behaviour at the World Cup final had been criticised at the time by Spanish government ministers and his resignation was hailed as a step forward for women’s rights in the country by Spain’s acting Labour Minister, Yolanda Diaz.
“The feminist country is advancing faster and faster,” Diaz posted on Twitter. “The transformation and improvement of our lives is inevitable. We are with you, Jenni, and with all women.”
(Photo: Maja Hitij –FIFA via Getty Images)
