{"id":103078,"date":"2023-09-26T09:45:15","date_gmt":"2023-09-26T09:45:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/09\/26\/spain-womens-team-able-to-focus-on-football-now\/"},"modified":"2023-09-26T09:45:15","modified_gmt":"2023-09-26T09:45:15","slug":"spain-womens-team-able-to-focus-on-football-now","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2023\/09\/26\/spain-womens-team-able-to-focus-on-football-now\/","title":{"rendered":"Spain women’s team able to focus on football now"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Aitana Bonmati was named player of the World Cup after Spain’s victory
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Spain\u2019s women\u2019s team are now able to \u201cfocus on football\u201d after weeks of controversy since their World Cup win, says midfielder Aitana Bonmati.<\/p>\n

Former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso following Spain\u2019s win over England on 20 August.<\/p>\n

It led to players boycotting the team, while manager Jorge Vilda was sacked and Rubiales eventually resigned.<\/p>\n

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The boycott ended last Wednesday with the team beating Sweden 3-2 on Friday.<\/p>\n

That Women\u2019s Nations League game was their first since the World Cup final and the first under new head coach Montse Tome.<\/p>\n

Most of the players\u00a0ended the boycott after more than seven hours\u00a0of talks and the football federation committing to \u201cimmediate and profound changes\u201d, with the team then flying to Sweden the next day.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are setting an example on a sporting and social levels, that men and women should be treated equally,\u201d said Uefa Women\u2019s Player of the Year and World Cup Golden Ball winner Bonmati, 25.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe first few days were complicated, with stress, anxiety, but as the days have gone by things have changed. We have now been able to focus on football, which is what we want.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Tuesday\u2019s game against Switzerland in Cordoba, the Barcelona player added: \u201cWe want to get back to normality knowing that there are many things to improve, that have been discussed, and that there are commitments on all sides to make this go better and to leave a good legacy and good conditions for all generations to come.<\/p>\n

\u201c[Gender equality] is a global struggle and all the players feel it is a little bit our own.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are here to play football but we have a loudspeaker and a responsibility to leave football and women in a better place than we found it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rubiales\u2019 kiss came during the trophy presentation ceremony in Sydney. Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual and filed a legal complaint.<\/p>\n

Rubiales, who has denied sexually assaulting Hermoso when he appeared in court,\u00a0has been banned\u00a0from going within 200 metres of the player.<\/p>\n

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