Current Ballon d’Or and now World Cup winner Alexia Putellas has demanded further changes and funding for women’s football, following their triumph in Australia.
Spain lifted the World Cup for the second time in their history on Sunday, and the first time in the women’s game, defeating England through an Olga Carmona goal.
Speaking after the match, Putellas told TV3 that there should be no rest for the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) after their win.
“It’s a success, but now we have to see how certain things change.”
“It cannot be that there are clubs that still have the women’s team within the foundation or social responsibility section. These are things that cannot be understood.”
Despite winning the World Cup, Putellas believes that Spain are already in danger of being left behind.
“We are in a moment when we have to take a step forward, because other countries are backing it very strongly. At league level we have to see a change, and I hope that it will happen, because it has been shown that the Spanish footballers are the best in the world.”
Naturally the Barcelona star was asked whether one of those changes was Coach Jorge Vilda, whose rift with the players led to 12 previous internationals turning down selection during the past year.
“I have been captain and at no time did we say that the coach had to leave. I don’t know where that came from. Conversations were held about what the group was feeling. We said the things we thought we needed to improve because we saw that other countries were moving far ahead of us. And we wanted to have options to win. It has been an exhausting year.”
“Yes, it has functioned. There has been a change. These are basic things, but things which were not given before. When you provide female footballers with certain comforts and there are no differences with the rivals. A clear example: traveling by bus and your opponent by plane, this affects you and is frustrating. These are details that can tip the scales and were the things that had to be changed. Luckily, they listened to us, but we have to keep moving forward, because the other federations will not stand still.”
Only recently has women’s football in Spain received any investment, led by Barcelona’s record-breaking Barcelona Femeni side. In 2019, women’s football accounted for just 1% of spending in the RFEF, and it is no surprise, taking into account the example Putellas gives, that those players are pursuing more backing.
Is female football in Spain generating enough income to warrant such financial demands?
Yeah, WC claimed such attention that they had to give tickets away to fill stadiums. Just as a point of referrence.
Rubiales should have known better nowadays, when everybody is praying for attention. I understand kissing cheeks, I come from that culture, but kissing her on mouth is asking for trouble.