Aitana Bonmatí said she “has to believe” that change will happen and that the fight of Jenni Hermoso and Spain players has not been in vain, after the conviction of Luis Rubiales for sexual assault.
Speaking in the buildup to Wednesday’s game against England at Wembley, the first meeting of the two sides since Spain’s 1-0 victory in that World Cup final in Sydney, the two‑time Ballon d’Or winner – when asked whether she thought change would happen – said: “I have to believe. I believe this case happened for a reason and makes us more respected as women. People will realise that it has been important, and it doesn’t need to happen any more.”
Last week Rubiales, the former president of the Spanish football federation, was found guilty of sexual assault for kissing Hermoso without consent during the medal ceremony of the 2023 World Cup final, with the court ruling he pay a €10,000 (£8,290) fine. However, Rubiales and his three co-defendants were cleared of the charge of coercion, for having allegedly put pressure on Hermoso to say the kiss was consensual. Rubiales has said he, too, will be appealing.
The 27-year-old midfielder echoed the surprise of her teammate Irene Paredes that Rubiales was acquitted of coercion. “Everybody here knows what has happened in the last few months and years,” Bonmatí said. “The sentence is correct, it is a positive thing and the team feel the same. I was surprised that there was no sentence linked to coercion, but the trial has served a purpose.
“We are all happy. We have been doing well on the pitch and supporting our teammate. We have battled hard, and we know what we have done has not been in vain.”
Bonmatí said that she hopes the case “makes changes in our country, in our football, and that we are respected better as footballers”, before adding: “But it’s also a global case, I don’t want to only speak about footballers, I think this happens in other jobs. I hope this case helps anyone who is going through these things. I hope this will help gain respect for women’s rights.
“We didn’t only win on the pitch but also off the pitch. We are continuously fighting for our rights and women’s rights. We are continuing to make change in society, and we are proud of that. We know we have to suffer a lot and that makes us stronger and champions even more.”
Speaking earlier in the day Sarina Wiegman, the England manager, said Hermoso was showing “remarkable courage and bravery” with her decision to lodge an appeal after the conviction of Rubiales, and reiterated her support for Spain’s players. She said their comeback to secure a 3-2 win against Belgium just over 24 hours after the trial’s verdict demonstrated how brave they are.
“It says first of all that they are a very good team,” Wiegman said. “It also shows resilience; they are so brave. We are talking about it again today because we have to keep talking about it and telling the world we stand in solidarity with their fight to make change.”
The Arsenal forward Alessia Russo added her support, too. “We hope it makes a change going forward,” she said. “It’s a testament to the players to be so brave to speak out and to perform at the levels they have. We stand with them and back them all the way.
“I know it’s been tough on teammates who I have played with [Arsenal’s Laia Codina and Mariona Caldentey]. They have acted with so much class. The community that women’s football has is really special. Whether it’s good or bad we come together as one. Ultimately, we all want the same for women’s football and [for it] to be at the highest levels.”
Bonmatí said the Spanish players are grateful for the continued support of their World Cup final opponents. “I heard Sarina speaking a lot of times and supporting us with our issues and I appreciate her words and also those of Lucy Bronze and Alessia Russo,” she said.
“We didn’t feel alone in this issue. They feel also it’s a global case not only a Spanish case. They feel our suffering and they support us, so I appreciate that a lot. All my teammates and I are thankful for their support.”
Every member of Spain’s squad trained on the Wembley pitch ahead of the Nations League showdown between the European champions and the world champions. Wiegman confirmed that every member of England’s squad is available, with Bronze, who was withdrawn at half-time in England’s 1-1 draw in Portugal on Friday, fit to play.
England got off to a strong start against Portugal but struggled in the second half and Wiegman urged critics to remember the context of a changing game and more competitive matches when analysing results.
“We work really hard and try to play our best every single day,. No game is going to be easy any more. The world has changed. We are adapting and of course we are trying to win every game.
“We’re not playing football to beat the critics. We’re playing football to win games and all we can do is just try to be at our best. We want to get more consistency, to keep it going longer. Then we move forward. Sometimes things go really well, sometimes things don’t go as well. We try to stay neutral.”
