Spain’s Nations League title finally allows them to focus on football

Irene Paredes grasped the trophy and took two steps forward before stopping. She looked up at the sky, took a moment, and closed her eyes, grimacing as she tried to hold back the tears. But it was too late — she was finally lifting a title as Spain captain.

Paredes was a key part of the Spanish side that won the Women’s World Cup last summer and had been captain for four years before that, but she was stripped of the armband before that tournament for her role in a player protest against then-head coach Jorge Vilda and the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). In September 2022, she had been one of the three players to support ‘Las 15’ — the 15 players who wrote the letter to the RFEF standing down from international duty until changes were made — albeit without sending the same letter to the RFEF.

So the Barcelona defender did not lift the most important title in the history of Spanish women’s football as captain. That honour went to Real Madrid’s Ivana Andres instead. It meant victory in Wednesday’s inaugural UEFA Nations League final had special significance for Paredes. Her thoughts immediately turned to her late father, who died just before the World Cup.

You only had to look at the images of the team celebrating to see it had special significance for all of Spain’s players. A lot has happened since they won that World Cup, not least in the immediate aftermath of then-RFEF president Luis Rubiales’ unsolicited kiss on Jennifer Hermoso and the debacle that followed. Six months on, however, the focus finally seems to be turning back to football.

Looking on from the outside, it is incredible to see what this team have achieved.

Spain were a broken side who appeared unable to win a knockout game despite the host of world-class Barcelona players in their squad. The World Cup changed all that — facing countries such as France, who they beat in Wednesday’s final, England or the United States no longer holds fear. Spain will be one of the favourites at their first Olympic Games this summer in Paris.

It is even more impressive considering what they have been through. Many of these players’ dreams of playing for the national team had become nightmares before the World Cup. There was internal division between Las 15, which led to a tense tournament in Australia and New Zealand after some made a last-minute decision to return to the squad.

Then they watched as Rubiales publicly endorsed Vilda as if the pair had been playing on the pitch for that World Cup triumph. They were forced to bear the brunt of Rubiales’ undignified behaviour during that final — his crotch-grabbing celebration in the stands followed by the kiss on Hermoso — and the shameful speech that followed in which he said he would “not resign” five times.

They spearheaded the ‘Se acabo’ (It’s over) movement on social media, Spanish football’s equivalent of #MeToo. They fought for their rights and held late-night meetings to reach an agreement with the RFEF. Then they could only watch as Vilda’s former assistant Montse Tome was appointed boss and proceeded to call up players who had said they were not available for selection — 81 past and present members of the Spain team did so after Rubiales’ speech in August.

These most recent Spain camps have not been without controversy. Barcelona’s Alexia Putellas was called up for this squad despite her club manager Jonatan Giraldez saying she would not be able to return before the international break as she recovers from a knee injury. She was on the bench for the first time since that issue for the final at Seville’s Estadio La Cartuja but did not play, as she had promised her club.

That, however, is nothing compared to what followed the World Cup final — and the images from Wednesday night showed everything that is right about Spanish women’s football.

The Nations League trophy held special significance for Paredes (Franck Fife/AFP via Getty Images)

There was Putellas, cheering on her team-mates from the bench in pursuit of another historic achievement. There was Hermoso, smiling once again after her toughest year — one in which she had been placed in the spotlight for receiving a kiss she did not want. Along with Paredes, those three players call themselves “the dinosaurs” in reference to their veteran status — they smiled and embraced after the full-time whistle.

Aitana Bonmati once again showed her quality with a player-of-the-match performance. The always underrated Mariona Caldentey finally seems to have found her place and was rewarded with a well-taken goal in the final. Goalkeeper Misa Rodriguez — dropped midway through the World Cup without any explanation from Vilda — and Laia Codina ran onto the pitch to cut off a section of the goal for memory’s sake.

Tome’s future remains uncertain with the Olympics on the horizon along with elections for the RFEF presidency that could change everything (the Federation has set a proposed date of May 24 for these), but this trophy strengthens her position. She has improved her communication with the squad and has shown a certain ability to calm the waters. Bonmati did not hesitate to celebrate her goal with Tome on the sidelines, despite the two being in open conflict a few months ago.

The players are waiting to see what changes may come about with a change of president, but, on Wednesday, the focus was on enjoying this country’s most talented generation fill a stadium thanks to their thrilling football — the attendance of 32,657 at La Cartuja was the largest crowd to ever watch a Spain women’s game on home soil.

In Seville, at last, justice was done.

(Top photo by David Ramos/Getty Images)