Former Spanish international Veronica Boquete spoke with a sense of resignation about the ongoing struggle against machismo in football and the gaps that still separate Spanish women from full equality in the sport. In an interview with Der Spiegel, she reflected on the sentiment that while a win was achieved in one arena, the broader war for profound change remains far from over. Boquete, once captain of the Spanish national team and now a player with Fiorentina in Italy, offered candid thoughts on the trajectory of women’s football in Spain and the leadership dynamics within the national program.
Relating to
She recalled that Rubiales eventually realized there was little point in clinging to the position, yet she emphasized the demand for deeper, more meaningful changes. Boquete noted the repeated calls for accountability and change, even as tensions between the federation’s leadership and the players persisted. Montse Tomé’s appointment to the national team coaching role was a focal point of debate, with Boquete observing that Tomé has often found himself in a subordinate position and took considerable time to move on from Rubiales’s era.
According to Boquete, the tolerance of past behaviors and the delay in distancing the team from Rubiales hindered progress. She affirmed that Tomé is a capable coach, yet questioned whether this choice represents the best option for Spain’s top team, suggesting there are others with greater experience who could drive stronger results.
We won a battle but we’re losing the war
Boquete warned that the current message could be misinterpreted as accepting a reality where a woman is in charge only while it is convenient. She stressed that the players, even though Montse is favored over Jorge Vilda, deserve fair consideration and a legitimate path to leadership. The players’ ongoing strike underscored a broader demand for systemic change rather than a simple personnel swap.
The interview touched on the controversy surrounding Rubiales and the kiss incident involving Jenni Hermoso. Boquete described how Hermoso’s mobile device was reportedly compromised during investigative efforts, highlighting how leaked content could be weaponized against the victim. She described the surroundings on the team bus, where private moments and serious concerns intersected, illustrating a culture where accountability often faced obstacles.
Boquete pointed to the bus conversations as evidence of the friction and the seriousness of the issues at stake. She explained that Rubiales sought other avenues to address the fallout after FIFA prohibited him from direct contact with Hermoso, signaling the complex, at times conflicting, responses from authorities and leadership within the sport.
Her assessment suggested that if the kissing episode had not been captured on camera, Rubiales might have been regarded as the best referee in the world and Jorge Vilda the best coach, despite longstanding complaints about conduct and training conditions. The implication was that visibility and public scrutiny shaped judgments about leadership far more than the daily realities on the ground.
Passivity of the men’s team
Boquete also criticized the solidarity statement from Spain’s men’s team, labeling it as late and insufficient. She argued that the move felt like an effort to deflect tough questions rather than confront the underlying issues. For many players, she suggested, courage to challenge the status quo remains uneven, and the fight for equal treatment is far from universal across the squad. The dynamics outside the women’s team reflected broader cultural challenges that continue to complicate progress toward gender equality in the sport.
When asked about future coaching aspirations, Boquete expressed a preference for continuing to compete at the highest levels in men’s football. She clarified that this stance did not diminish her respect for women’s football; instead, it reflected a personal drive to test herself at the peak level, with the belief that talent and capability can cross gender lines. She asserted confidence in her own abilities to lead any team, underscoring a desire to see coaches move freely between men’s and women’s football as a normal career path. This perspective highlighted a broader ambition for cross-pollination of leadership roles across the sport and a more merit-based approach to coaching opportunities.