Spain - Women World Cup Champions - 1 week later. (How not to manage a crises)

It was a creepy move but the hysteria over it just highlights the world we live in right now.

Anyone with any interest in a world where girls and women can compete in sports fairly and without being harassed or abused should be looking at this series of events and making sure they do whatever they can to ensure such events do not happen.

I don’t know if it’s intended, but that isn’t limited to anyone solely with an interest in a world where girls and women can compete in sports fairly and without being harassed or abused. People do that already. It’s why cases like this are made public, precisely because people already don’t accept anyone being abused or harassed in sports.

This particular example though is shìtty for a number of reasons besides just the obvious - there’s the fact that it’s overshadowed the many positives you’ve already highlighted, there’s the fact that it was inevitable that stories like this would come out as women’s participation in sports increases, and there’s the fact that it’s been going on under the radar in sports for decades and it’s only in recent years that people feel they are able to speak publicly about it.

There’s the fact that people have to speak about their experiences before an inquiry or an investigation into the phenomenon happens that the behaviour can’t be just passed off or dismissed as part of being involved in sports, or that people are keeping silent because they fear repercussions or they won’t be able to continue participating in sports, and there’s the fact that parents are wary of enrolling their children in organised sports because they’re aware of these kinds of issues that went on when they were children participating in sports themselves and they had no power at the time to do anything about it.

The various football associations have a tendency to defend their own indefensible behavior to the hilt and claim interference if other parties make their opinions known. They will attempt to protect their own here again.

TLDR TLDR: Sexual Assault

Ever the contrarian.

I hear his conference last night was a disaster:

I don't know this guy's history, but from what I do know of Spaniards, and from what I know of football celebrations in general, I think it's is very probable that he would have kissed a male player in the same way.

He did apologise initially: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66568226

I guess he thought/hoped that an apology might put and end to things, but when it started to look like that an apology might not be enough, and he might lose his job, he's decided to double down, and the Spanish football federation has, bizarrely, decided to back him to the hilt.

Pinched from elsewhere and hard to argue against..

I mean, it's a bit weird and I'd never consider doing it but then I'm not Latin and frankly find hugging people who aren't my partner or family, all a bit unnecessarily touchy and intimate.

She didn't seem remotely arsed about it when it happened. None of the women did. Where was the obvious signs in their body language, of offence, disgust and hurt? You can fake words, pretend offence after the event but it's much less easy to fake body language. More to the point, why would you if you were bothered? I've always believe actions speak louder than words and just don't see a troubled woman here.

Dunno. The guys seems like a bit of a prick but I can't shake this feeling that nobody was really hurt by this and that someone pointed out that you're supposed to be offended by this kind of carry on now and hey presto, we're here. It feels typically over inflated as an issue even if I agree that there was inappropriateness there.

Orchestrated by whom? Hermoso said as soon as she was questioned on this she did not want the kiss or like it....that was immediately heading into sexual assault territory.

I've always believe actions speak louder than words and just don't see a troubled woman here.

I know it’s not your argument, but the author says they always believe actions speak louder than words, yet they’re imagining that because of the way she didn’t act, they don’t see a troubled woman. They don’t say anything of the actions of Rubiales though.

That they imagine body language is in any way difficult to fake just speaks for itself. Had she smacked him in the mouth for taking liberties, it’d be a completely different headline would be trending internationally where she would be made out to have overreacted - there would still be some way found to make out she is at fault for his actions! 😒

There are clear issues within the Spanish setup, I knew there had been a big push previously to get rid of Vilda before, as far as I know a big chunk of those players still won't play for Spain with him in charge. There was also clear disdain for him from some players at this tournament as well. So from what I can see they won the tournament in spite of him rather than really because of him. The fact so many staff now resigned would back that up.

There is a way to show displeasure without going all out and smacking someone on the mouth!!! Look at Claire Foy's reaction to a knee touch by Adam Sandler here, where she gets her point across without smacking his mouth:

(And for the record, I don't even blame Sandler in this instance, if you watch to the end you see he did the same with Dustin Hoffman).

None of us can possibly know what was going on in the player's mind as she was kissed in a moment of celebration, but it certainly looks like she wasn't bothered by it at the time to me.

This story also needs to be getting a lot more coverage. A head coach with allegations of sexual assault from 2022...and now seemingly another incident at the tournament.