The English fought and tried a lot – but in the end the European champions, who had almost become permanent winners, were beaten: by a Spanish national team that improved and changed their footballing skills over the course of this World Cup. The fact that they have won the first world title in their history is all the more remarkable in view of the quarrels before the tournament.
15 players went on strike in protest against the association and the working conditions in the national team. And even if some of them returned, the divisions within the squad and between the team and the coach remained evident. When it came to their big goal, however, the players ignored all that. After the final, much more would have revolved around their success – if association president Luis Rubiales hadn’t kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth at the award ceremony, causing a scandal.
In this episode, moderator and women’s soccer expert Anna Dreher speaks to Felix Haselsteiner and Frank Hellmann, both SZ employees who also reported on the World Cup from Australia and New Zealand. As well as the final and the importance of Spain’s World Cup victory, the tournament itself has shown a lot about the development of women’s football around the world.
Soccer Bundesliga, Champions League, sports policy at Fifa and DFB: “And now to sports”, the soccer podcast of the Süddeutsche Zeitung, gives insights into the most important soccer topic of the week. Every Monday, SZ sports editors discuss the background to current events.
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