August 31, (THEWILL) – England women’s manager, Sarina Wiegman, used her acceptance speech for the UEFA Women’s Coach of the Year award to highlight the controversy surrounding the Spanish women’s national team.
Wiegman, who led England to the World Cup final against Spain earlier this year, made the remarks on Thursday night, in Monaco. She began by thanking those who voted for her and the English FA for their support.
However, the Dutch coach then addressed the ongoing issues with the Spanish Federation. This comes after clips of Federation President Luis Rubiales kissing player Jenni Hermoso without consent, following Spain’s World Cup win, sparked controversy. There have been sustained calls for Rubiales to resign.
“It really hurts me as a coach, as the mother of two daughters, as a wife and as a human being, and it shows there’s still a long way to go in women’s football and society,” Wiegman said. She dedicated the award to the Spanish players, adding: “This team deserves to be celebrated and to be listened to.”
Wiegman called on the audience to join her in applauding the Spanish side, who she said “played at the World Cup such great football that everyone enjoyed.”
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
