Netflix documentary shows brutal reality of Spain Women’s National Team mistreatment | OneFootball

The Netflix documentary #SeAcabó: Diario de las Campeona is an unfiltered look at the recent history of the Spain women’s national team, culminating in their 2023 World Cup win and the subsequent assault scandal.

While the film didn’t contain any bombshells, the first-hand accounts shared by players confirmed long-reported rumours about the events. Players such as Alexia Putellas, Jenni Hermoso, and Irene Parades offered insight into the historic mistreatment, misconduct and misogyny at the heart of Spanish football. Here’s what we learned.

Conditions in the Spanish national team

One of the most insightful parts of the documentary was a peek behind the curtain at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF). Players described the lagging standard of travel and hotel arrangements, poor quality of training, and the tension of working in a patronising environment. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmatí said: “I had a feeling the federation had a women’s team because they had to.”

For years, Spanish players protesting their conditions have been slandered in the media as unpatriotic. On the other hand, the federation has been celebrated for sticking by a mediocre manager and calling up other players instead.

In #SeAcabo, the players share their side of the story, recounting years of polite requests for change being ignored.

Misogyny and mismanagement at the RFEF

Players allude to numerous times when the RFEF leaked confidential correspondence. The Las 15 email was leaked to the media, as were confidential messages between captain Paredes and Rubiales, and carefully selected clips of the team celebrating their World Cup win. All aid the crafted narrative spun by the RFEF: that the players from the Spanish women’s national team are liars, that they are entitled, that they are undeserving.

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#SeAcabó does not shy away from the corruption at the federation either. The impression left is that of a boys’ club full of self-interested, yet largely unintelligent men.

Take former national team coach, Jorge Vilda, for example. Vilda had ‘no resume’ in coaching prior to joining the U19 side. His initial hiring in the federation was as an assistant to his father. For much of Vilda’s tenure as senior team coach, he was also the Sporting Director for the women’s programme. Thus, no one except the RFEF President, Rubiales, could terminate his contract. Goalkeeper Sandra Paños said: “He shook his own hand and [his contract] was renewed.”

Lack of knowledge

As well as controlling and patronising behaviour, the players were open about the lack of tactical knowledge exhibited by Vilda. In reference to the crushing 4-0 defeat against Japan at the World Cup, Parades said: “We needed someone to give us direction and tell us how to stop conceding goals… It was quite common for the coach not to have any solutions, not to have any answers.”

Vilda’s inability to provide analysis and guidance was established throughout his tenure. During the Las 15 protest, the lack of tactics was widely reported in Spanish media as a source of frustration. Former captain Verónica Boquete said: “That was one of the player’s requests — more intervention and help on the part of the coach. And they didn’t have it. The story repeats itself again.”

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Riffs within the team

For anyone who has followed Spanish women’s football, riffs in the national team will come as no surprise. Players from Real Madrid were notably absent from the initial Las 15 protest, and personal relationships have clearly frayed in the past two years. Hearing the players talk about it added depth to the divisions.

Protesters expressed sheer frustration at their teammates for saying one thing in private, and another in front of the federation. For those who chose not to boycott the team, it was self-interest for the international stage or playing time. Some expressed regret that they didn’t speak up, while others simply said that they felt differently from their striking peers.

The cracks were on show, with Laia Codina describing the World Cup team as a ‘broken group’ with ‘no sense of unity’.

The Rubiales case

The culmination of the Netflix documentary is Spain winning the World Cup win and the subsequent scandal involving Rubiales publicly assaulting Hermoso. The fallout bookends the documentary.

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Alleged coercion

In their own words, players recount what they knew of the events of the medal ceremony. Most were told about it soon after but were caught up in their celebrations and hardly took notice of Hermoso’s upset.

“She told us, but I didn’t understand anything,” said Parades. “She did tell us about it several times. I think she was hoping for someone to ask her, ‘Hey, is this okay or not?’ but the celebration is happening, [and] there’s all this music and partying.”

In the days that followed, Hermoso endured constant harassment to make a statement and downplay the incident. When she refused, the Spanish federation forged one. As national team captain, Ivana Andrés was also approached. Following the Las 15 protest, Andrés was promoted to captain for showing ‘undisputed support’ for the RFEF. This time, Andrés and other teammates refused.

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“It’s over”

While the Spanish Federation wrote reports to exonerate Rubiales and posted press releases dissecting Hermoso’s ‘body language’, global outrage grew. A shameful press conference saw Rubiales refuse to resign.

In the face of blatant contempt, the players organised. They describe the stress of calling as many former national team players as they could, having to read out the statement to avoid any further leaks, and fearing that their phones may be hacked. Standing together, 81 players — including the entire World Cup team — signed a statement saying they would not play for Spain under the existing leadership.

The future

It would be disingenuous to suggest that what the Spanish women’s national team fought for has been fully achieved. Rubiales will stand trial in February 2025 for sexual assault and coercion. Vilda will also stand trial, but continues to work in women’s football as the head coach of Morocco. Outrageously, he was hired on the recommendation of the RFEF. Vilda’s assistant, Montse Tomé, was promoted to be Spain’s head coach. Like Vilda, she had no coaching experience beyond the RFEF’s youth program. Further, one member of Las 15 still refuses to be called up to the Spanish national team.

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Yet, #SeAcabó ends on a positive note, with the players noting the importance of taking a stand. After years of being discredited publicly, it’s clear that their concerns were valid and justified, despite being manipulated through systemic corruption and self-interest. We can only hope that the future of the national team is brighter than the past.

It seems unlikely. Captains Parades and Hermoso were both snubbed of international call-ups in the first team selection since the documentary aired. Spanish media were quick to call out their absence. In response, Tomé publicly implied that certain players didn’t display the ‘camaraderie’ she expected. The road forward for Spain’s top players remains unclear.

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