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What goes around comes back around. Emily Olsen here with Meg Linehan — welcome to Full Time!
Day in Court: Former president of Spanish football on trial
It was a moment that should have never happened.
While Spain’s players were lining up to accept their medals for winning the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup, the president of the Spanish Football Federation kissed forward Jenni Hermoso.
In a win that should have highlighted a dominant tournament by Hermoso and her teammates, securing the country’s first Women’s World Cup, their achievements were instead overshadowed by the behavior of Luis Rubiales and those who enabled him.
The moment left onlookers stunned and the aftershocks have continued to ripple throughout Spain and the globe. In the three weeks following the incident:
- Hermoso was threatened with legal action by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
- Rubiales resigned (eventually).
- The team’s head coach Jorge Vilda was fired.
- Eighty-one Spanish players said they would refuse to represent their country.
And now, 533 days later, Rubiales stands trial, across 13 days in a Spanish court, for alleged sexual assault and coercion of Hermoso.
Prosecutors are asking for a two and a half-year sentence for Rubiales and 18 months for the three co-accused of coercion: Vilda, Albert Luque — the former sporting director of the Spain men’s team and a former Newcastle United forward — and Ruben Rivera, RFEF’s former marketing director.
All four have denied any wrongdoing.
Hermoso says she hasn’t ‘been able to live freely’
Hermoso was the first person to testify today. Spain’s record goal scorer described in detail the isolation and hurt she felt following the events in Sydney, Australia.
“From the first moment I set foot in Spain I had cameras all around me, outside my house, while I was having breakfast with my mother, they followed me, they took my photo. … I had to leave Madrid with all my people because for a moment I felt afraid in case someone was chasing me. I received death threats.”
The 34-year-old repeated that the kiss was not consensual and that she felt “disrespected” by Rubiales, 47. She said it “tainted one of the happiest days of (her) life.”
The Athletic will be at the trial each day to bring you the latest. We also have a briefing on what’s transpired over the last 18 months, including the three-day hunger strike by Rubiales’ mother inside a Motril church.
Meg’s Corner: Rubiales trial is a moment of public accountability
I want to be upfront: I have no idea what to expect from the trial of Rubiales nor what outcome it may provide. However, it offers one of the first moments of public accountability in the world of women’s football over a specific incident and its fallout. While we witnessed many changes and reforms here in the United States following the abuse scandal in the NWSL, hundreds of pages of reports and sanctions and rule changes don’t have the same visceral feeling of accountability a trial can produce.
On day one, Hermoso, who is reliving one of the best and worst days of her career, testified.
“I felt violated in my integrity as a woman, disrespected,” she told the court.
As the trial begins, I’m trying to grapple with many things: how Spain’s World Cup win was stained by the actions of a few; how the worst moments of the sport always seem to transcend into the public sphere; and how that attention is always necessary to force change.
Most of all, I’m thinking about how Hermoso and her teammates were overlooked time and time again and told to be “grateful” for what they were given. That word is at the core of the rot inside the formation of women’s football, which has produced poisoned opportunities.
This trial won’t be a cure, but as we’ve seen before, shining a light is the first step to something better.
Matt McNulty / Getty Images
On the Move
Kelly’s tempestuous transfer saga
If you thought the Luka Dončić trade was dramatic, let me recap the Women’s Super League deadline day.
The window closed last Thursday, and it was not without its drama, mostly provided by the transfer saga of England winger Chloe Kelly.
- The week began with what looked like a clear move for the City player to cross-town rival Manchester United, but quickly devolved into a battle of words, with Kelly saying the club was trying to “assassinate (her) character.”
- By Wednesday, it looked like Kelly would be headed to Brighton, though United was still a slight possibility.
- But when all was said and done, Kelly ended up on loan to her childhood club, Arsenal.
She had to sit out the team’s weekend match against City, a seven-goal thriller in which Arsenal took all three points. She will have to do so again Thursday when the two clubs meet in the Women’s League Cup, and also miss the club’s FA Cup match Sunday because she has already featured in the tournament with City. This means Kelly won’t see minutes in a competitive match until after England manager Sarina Wiegman selects her next roster.
Kelly, 27, previously said she just wanted to “be happy” again. Hopefully, this arrangement gets her there — but it sounds like a move to the other Manchester could still be on the table when her contract ends in June.
Who will break Girma’s record?
USWNT defender Naomi Girma hasn’t taken the field yet for Chelsea, but that hasn’t stopped us from wondering who might follow through the door she pushed open. Last week, we broke down the possibilities for who could break her transfer fee record. Since then, a couple on the list have already made moves:
- NWSL MVP Temwa Chawinga re-signed with the Kansas City Current through 2028.
- Previous transfer record holder Keira Walsh made her WSL return with a move from Barcelona to Chelsea. How much money is really at manager Sonia Bompastor’s disposal?
I asked the brain trust on Slack who else they thought would break the record of $1.1 million:
Saving this screenshot for future reference!
Crystal Dunn in Paris
After a surprising separation from Gotham FC, USWNT midfielder Crystal Dunn has found a new home in Paris.
The 32-year-old completed the move last week, undergoing a medical with the French club Thursday and saying she was “very happy” to be joining the team. This is her first time back with a European team since representing Chelsea in 2017-18, scoring five goals across 24 appearances for the WSL side.
She joins U.S. teammates Korbin Albert and Eva Gaetino at the Stade Jean-Bouin.
Full Time First Looks
Welcome to the league: Last week, the NWSL officially (finally) awarded its 16th team to the city of Denver. Up against a $150 million stadium proposal in Cleveland and the backing of WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark in Cincinnati, Denver quietly captured the interest of NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman with its confidence and deep pockets. We also discussed everything you need to know about the newest NWSL team on the “Full Time” podcast.
Family affair: The Thompson sisters are staying in Los Angeles, agreeing to contract extensions at Angel City through 2028. That’s a four-year extension for Alyssa, 20, and a two-year deal for the 19-year-old Gisele.
In court: Australia captain Sam Kerr is on trial this week for an offense of causing racially aggravated intentional harassment, alarm or distress of a police officer. The alleged incident in question took place two years ago. Kerr’s lawyer says the Chelsea player does not dispute some of what was said, but that it does not raise to the level of a criminal offense. The Athletic will be at the trial all week.
Reunion or redemption?: Carli Lloyd and Hope Solo are returning to the pitch — this time on opposite sides at this summer’s The Soccer Tournament. The seven-a-side women’s competition will feature 16 teams competing for $1 million. Lloyd will join a collection of former U.S. players, while Solo is going … solo … with a team of her own.
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(Top photo: Eduardo Parra / Getty Images)
