Spain has condemned inappropriate World Cup kiss. Can it now reckon with sexism in soccer?
Associated PressMADRID — When Patricia Otero watched the president of Spain’s soccer federation tarnish the greatest victory in the history of women’s sports in Spain by forcibly kissing a player on the lips during the Women’s World Cup medal ceremony, she was saddened — but not surprised. Women’s rights activism has been gaining ground for decades, but was supercharged in 2018 following a high-profile case of gang rape viewed as Spain’s “Me Too” moment. For Beatriz Álvarez, the president of Spain’s professional women’s league, there is more behind Rubiales’ demise than “a war of the sexes or feminism.” “The so-called ‘little peck’. “At that moment, Luis Rubiales was the federation president and had absolute authority over her.” Hermoso has called the kiss and Rubiales’ refusal to accept her insistence it wasn’t consensual “the final straw.” “What everyone has been able to witness on live television during the celebration also comes with attitudes,” she said, “that have been part of our team’s daily life for years.” Spain’s women players had to go to the extreme of rebelling against the federation last September to improve conditions for the team.