Governing body says it will take ‘necessary legal action’ against female players protesting over Luis Rubiales kiss scandal
The Spanish football federation has threatened to sue Jenni Hermoso, the player at the centre of a row over its president’s conduct, for lying and defamation.
It has also threatened to sue the 79 women’s football players who signed a letter in which they refused to play for their country as long as Luis Rubiales remained in his post.
Continue reading...Spain forward rejects FA chief’s claims as ‘categorically false’ as the national women’s team refuses to play until he resigns
• ‘Ego above dignity’: Rubiales’ defiance over kiss shocks Spain
The Spain forward Jenni Hermoso has said she did not consent to be kissed by the Spanish football federation president, Luis Rubiales, as the women’s team announced that they would not play until he is removed.
Rubiales has faced fierce criticism for days, as well as a Fifa investigation, after he grabbed Hermoso by the head and kissed her on her lips during the Women’s World Cup final trophy presentation.
Continue reading...Women’s and men’s players and clubs join politicians in condemning football chief’s refusal to resign
For a brief moment, it looked like it would be a victory for feminism. After days of uproar across Spain and around the world, media reports had suggested that Spain’s football chief, Luis Rubiales, would step down over the kiss he planted on forward Jenni Hermoso’s lips during the Women’s World Cup medal presentation on Sunday.
Yet instead of announcing his departure at an emergency meeting of the football federation on Friday, he left many Spaniards in shock by defiantly declaring “I will not resign” five times in a meandering speech that hit out at “false feminism” while also seeking to portray himself as a victim and recast the kiss as “a peck”.
Continue reading...Luis Rubiales hit out at “false feminism” and a “social assassination” of his character as he vowed to stay on as head of Spain’s football federation (RFEF) amid fierce criticism and a Fifa investigation for kissing Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso on the lips during the Women’s World Cup final trophy presentation.
In a passionate speech at an extraordinary general assembly of Spain’s football federation, the 46-year-old reiterated that he would not be forced out of his role by what he felt was a witch-hunt. “I will not resign,” he repeated five times to widespread applause. “I will fight this to the end.”
Continue reading...Jubilation at victory over England will take a while to sink in – and there are hopes it will bring lasting change
By mid-afternoon on Sunday, the August-quiet, sun-fried streets around Madrid’s WiZink Center had begun to fill with red strips, dazed and happy faces, and the inevitable chorus of horns from the capital’s jubilant motorists. Spain had done it. But the fact they had done it was going to take a while to sink in.
Among the hundreds of people milling about outside the sporting arena and concert venue – where giant screens had shown the World Cup triumph of the Spanish women’s team to 6,000 people – were Laura Luengo, her wife, Tamara Rodríguez, and their young son, Álvaro.
Continue reading...No 10 says it will find ‘appropriate’ way to celebrate defeated finalists as Labour calls for full-team honours
No 10 is considering awards for England’s female footballers for reaching the World Cup final, as Labour called for the whole team to get honours.
Downing Street said it would find a way to reward the players after they lost 0-1 in the final to Spain in Australia on Sunday.
Continue reading...Company faces mounting criticism for not offering goalkeeper’s England kit as player wins tournament’s Golden Glove award
Nike is facing increased demands to sell a Mary Earps shirt after the England player saved a penalty in the World Cup final and was named the tournament’s best goalkeeper.
Despite winning the Fifa award for best women’s goalkeeper last year, having conceded just two goals all tournament when England were crowned Euro 2022 champions, fans have been unable to buy her jersey, unlike those of her teammates.
Continue reading...Decision not to fly to Australia has been questioned by those who say Lionesses deserved top-level support
The Prince of Wales may have cheered on the Lionesses from afar, but has faced criticism from some quarters at home over his reluctance to get on a plane to support the England team in person.
William was absent from Stadium Australia on Sunday despite being president of the Football Association, and is understood to have made the decision not to go because of the long flight involved for such a short period of time.
Continue reading...The safe hands of Gabby Logan or the incisive analysis of Eni Aluko? When England play Spain in Sunday’s final, it’s time for viewers to choose their channel
Going into this World Cup final, there is one clear favourite: their squad has depth and experience; the line-up has proven quality and leadership; and perhaps most importantly, they have performed on the biggest stages before and come out victorious. We are talking about the BBC, which once again will do head-to-head battle for the nation’s eyeballs with ITV as a subplot to the England-Spain match in Sydney.
The clash, historically, has not gone well for ITV. For the men’s World Cup final last December, nearly 20 million Britons tuned in, with three-quarters (15 million) favouring the BBC. Of course, the BBC has the selling point of no ad breaks and the prestige of being seen as a destination for nationally significant events. But ITV’s coverage so far in this World Cup has been slick and engaging, so can the upstart, packed with young, fresh talent, pull off a shock?
Continue reading...If La Roja beat England, Spain’s apathetic media would finally have to take notice
Slicing sourdough on the stainless-steel counter of a London tapas restaurant, Ana Lorenzo hopes victory for La Roja will banish the sexism she says still stalks women’s football in Spain.
“It’s so sexist in Spain compared to here. The attitude to women’s football is many years behind. And despite doing so well, the women’s team hasn’t really gripped the media,” she says, shaking her head.
Continue reading...Supermarkets, pubs and advertisers the winners as supporters prepare for match against Spain
Supermarkets, pubs and TV advertisers are preparing to enjoy a bumper weekend as football fans rush to celebrate the Women’s World Cup final on Sunday morning.
As many as 13.7 million people are expected to tune in when the Lionesses take on Spain in the highly anticipated fixture in Australia – the first time a senior England football team has appeared in a World Cup final since 1966.
Continue reading...Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria police turned down request for escort for Fifa president, which is normally reserved for foreign heads of state
Fifa asked Australian police in multiple jurisdictions to provide escorts for president Gianni Infantino during his travel for the Women’s World Cup, but was turned down.
Infantino asked Queensland, Victoria and New South Wales police to provide him with escorts, the Guardian has confirmed.
Continue reading...Councils accused of downplaying women’s football compared with men’s, with scarcity of planned public viewing parties
The Lionesses drew an average of 4.6 million viewers during their World Cup semi-final, yet fans are disappointed that councils have failed to respond to the team’s success by putting on free public viewing parties for the final.
The BBC said a peak audience of 7.3 million tuned in to watch England beat Australia 3-1 on Wednesday, despite the time zone difference resulting in an 11am kick-off time.
Continue reading...Club says no decision has been made about future of footballer which is ‘subject of intensive internal deliberation’
Rachel Riley, the co-presenter of Countdown, has said she will stop supporting Manchester United if the club allows Mason Greenwood to return.
Manchester United said on Wednesday no decision had been made about the 21-year-old’s future, which it said is still the “subject of intensive internal deliberation”.
Continue reading...Australian women’s football team has seen a five-fold increase in value since the start of the 2023 World Cup, analysis shows
The Matildas are Australia’s most valuable national sporting team and the worth of their brand has increased fivefold since the start of the 2023 World Cup, new analysis shows.
That brand will only increase in value over the coming days if they continue on their winning stomach-knotting run, although they do face a challenge in retaining momentum after some of the euphoria subsides, given their irregular playing schedule.
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Continue reading...Unprecedented merchandise sales have led to major stockists running low. Here’s how to buy Matildas merch, or make your own to dress the part
There has been a run on all things green and gold this week in Australia, after the Matildas’ streak of victories in the Women’s World Cup.
Nike said that there has been “record breaking” demand for the team jersey, with this year’s outselling the 2019 World Cup’s edition 13 to one. More Matildas jerseys have been sold in Australia in the past three months than before, during and after any previous tournament.
Continue reading...Bayern Munich fans delighted but commentators question price tag and Germany’s failure to nurture homegrown talent
There may have been tens of thousands of Harry Kane fans tracking his Cessna flight’s path to Munich on Saturday, followed by standing ovations when he finally appeared before Bayern Munich supporters – many already wearing “Harry Kane – 9” shirts – to the stirring strains of Rock You Like a Hurricane by German rock band the Scorpions, but scepticism about the wisdom of the Tottenham Hotspur striker’s £100m transfer was rife among German commentators.
The affection for the 30-year-old striker was not in doubt. “Citizen Kane is now officially a Bavarian!” ran one typical headline, and the greetings servus (hello) and willkommen (welcome) towards “Herry” (as some Germans pronounce it) came thick and fast at his first press conference, at which he was flanked by bottles of water and Bavarian wheat beer.
Continue reading...Ex-president’s open criticism of team started in 2019, when Megan Rapinoe said she wouldn’t visit White House after winning
Less than 24 hours after the US women’s national team suffered a shocking defeat at the hands of their longtime nemesis Sweden in the second round of the 2023 Women’s World Cup, Donald Trump gloated about the team’s elimination on social media.
The former president, a longtime vocal critic of the team, specifically Megan Rapinoe, a blue-haired talisman and outspoken LGBTQ+ advocate who missed a crucial penalty during the final moments of the game, said that the team’s loss is “fully emblematic of what is happening to our great Nation under Crooked Joe Biden”.
Continue reading...Despite narrow defeat to England, team’s efforts in Australia win praise after what some saw as a lack of official backing
Nigerian football fans in the Lagos suburb of Shomolu had nothing but praise for their team after their narrow defeat on penalties to England in the Women’s World Cup on Monday.
The suburb, home to much of the country’s printing industry, is usually a hive of industrial activity, but many of its presses fell silent on Monday morning as workers gathered in groups around televisions to watch the Super Falcons take on the European champions in Brisbane.
Continue reading...Fans gathered in Sydney were delirous as Australia’s 2-0 win over Denmark sent them into the quarter-finals of the World Cup
Foord and Raso keep Australian dream alive
They came in the thousands, armed with picnic blankets, umbrellas and deck chairs and adorned in green and gold.
Hours before the Matildas took to the pitch they were already gathering, a sea of supporters packed into Sydney’s biggest live site at Darling Harbour.
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