1 year ago
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Female footballers campaigning for equality means they are "playing 2 games astatine the aforesaid time", says erstwhile United States winger Megan Rapinoe.
Her vocation ended with a last-16 exit astatine the Women's World Cup and she says immoderate had been "waiting for this stumble".
Rapinoe besides criticised the "misogyny and sexism" shown by Spanish shot federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales during their triumph successful the final.
"It made maine deliberation astir however overmuch we are required to endure," said Rapinoe.
Spain's 1-0 triumph implicit England successful Sydney was overshadowed by Rubiales kissing guardant Jenni Hermoso connected the lips during the presumption ceremony.
That came aft Rubiales grabbed his crotch arsenic helium celebrated triumph astatine the last whistle successful the VIP country of Stadium Australia, adjacent Queen Letizia of Spain and her 16-year-old daughter.
Spain manager Jorge Vilda survived a subordinate revolt past September, erstwhile the RFEF said that 15 players had submitted identical emails saying they would not play for him unless "significant" concerns implicit their "emotional state" and "health" were addressed.
However, the the RFEF continued to backmost Vilda and posted 'VILDA IN' connected Spain's authoritative X relationship aft their World Cup triumph.
In an interrogation with American mag the Atlantic, two-time Women's World Cup victor Rapinoe said: "Think however overmuch that Spanish squad had to shoulder: immoderate of the players who stood up mode backmost past twelvemonth inactive aren't connected the team. Maybe that was thing that galvanised them, but you shouldn't person to person that.
"There was different representation that signals specified a heavy level of misogyny and sexism successful that federation and successful that antheral (Rubiales) astatine the last whistle, conscionable grabbing his crotch.
"What benignant of upside-down satellite are we in? On the biggest stage, wherever you should beryllium celebrating, Jenni has to beryllium physically assaulted by this guy."
Rubiales apologised connected Monday for kissing Hermoso but Spain's premier curate Pedro Sanchez said his apologies "are not enough", portion 2nd lawman premier curate Yolanda Diaz joined those calling for him to resign.
'We're playing unneurotic to triumph equality and progress'
Rapinoe (left) volition discontinue astatine the extremity of her nine broadside OL Reign's NWSL campaign, with the regular play ending successful October and the play-off last connected 11 NovemberRapinoe and the remainder of the US squad filed a favoritism lawsuit implicit adjacent wage and moving conditions soon earlier retaining their World Cup rubric successful 2019.
It was yet settled successful February 2022 erstwhile US Soccer pledged adjacent pay for the men's and women's teams crossed each competitions.
England players had to pause discussions implicit performance-related bonuses until aft the World Cup portion Australia's squad criticised the gender disparity successful prize money.
The World Cup preparations for Jamaica, Nigeria and South Africa were each disrupted by disputes implicit wage and facilities.
Rapinoe, the 2019 Women's Ballon d'Or winner, added: "What I've realised for a agelong clip is that we're playing 2 games astatine the aforesaid time. One, we're playing each against each other, and past the different one, we're each playing unneurotic to triumph equality and advancement and what we deserve.
"We privation these different teams to beryllium paid equally, and to person the resources that they deserve, and to not beryllium subjected to misogyny and racism and sexism. If that comes astatine the disbursal of our ain dominance, yeah, we privation that.
"It is our work to proceed to propulsion the crippled forward, and I instrumentality a batch of pridefulness successful the World Cup being what it is contiguous versus adjacent 4 years oregon 8 years ago. I instrumentality a batch of pridefulness erstwhile I spot teams speaking up for themselves."
'They privation women to judge you can't combat for things'
Then US president Donald Trump told Rapinoe not to "disrespect our country" aft saying she would not sojourn the White House if the US won the 2019 World Cup.
Rapinoe, 38, announced earlier this year's tourney that she would beryllium retiring astatine the extremity of the season, and her planetary vocation ended with a punishment shootout decision by Sweden successful her 202nd quality for the US.
Trump was among those to criticise the squad aft that last-16 exit, calling it a "shocking and wholly unexpected loss".
"The velocity with which those comments got into the atmosphere... it's similar they person conscionable been waiting since, I don't know, 2016, 2019?" said Rapinoe.
"They've been waiting for this squad to stumble. But erstwhile we are perfect, past we are accused of reasoning that we're perfect.
"They privation women to judge that you can't combat for things and beryllium excellent; you can't inquire for what you merit and beryllium successful.
"But the world is, we're doing that. Beyonce is doing that. Taylor Swift is doing that. Coco Gauff is doing that. We are inactive large connected the field, and we're warring for equality, and it's amended for our bottommost enactment and the sport's."
The US and Sweden played retired a goalless gully successful Melbourne earlier the shootout went to abrupt death, with Rapinoe 1 of 3 US players to miss their penalty. It would beryllium to beryllium her past interaction successful planetary football.
"I would instrumentality that 1 again. I would prime me," she added.
"For a agelong time, I person thought astir missing 1 successful a truly large moment. What are you going to do? The lone different happening you could bash is to not instrumentality one. I'm not going to bash that.
"I would alternatively measurement up and beryllium successful that moment, and I deliberation that's thing that made the disapproval aft that nonaccomplishment peculiarly fake and disingenuous and absurd and outrageous to me. It's like, you're going to bash connected maine for getting retired determination and trying my best?"
English (US)