Both England and Scotland players wore white wristbands reading ‘#SeAcabo’ (‘It’s over’) during their Nations League match at the Stadium of Light to show their support for the Spain women’s team.
Spanish football has been embroiled in a scandal after Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the immediate aftermath of Spain’s World Cup victory last month.
Rubiales remained defiant that he would not leave his post, but eventually resigned earlier this month after Hermoso filed a complaint with the national prosecutor’s office saying the kiss was not consensual.
Even after Rubiales’ departure, the Spanish side continued to insist that they would boycott national team duties until more changes were made to the governance of women’s football in the country.
All but two players agreed to end the boycott on Wednesday after a seven-hour meeting with the federation and Spain’s supreme court for the sport.
Players from England and Scotland wore armbands in a show of solidarity with the players from Spain during their Nations League match
It was the first match for both teams since the World Cup final, with Luis Rubiales kissing Spain’s Jenni Hermoso after the match
Before Spain’s match against Sweden, both groups of players posed with a banner of solidarity
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Spain returned to action themselves for the first time since the saga that followed their World Cup victory, facing Sweden in their opening match of the UEFA Women’s Nations League after meeting earlier this week.
Seven of the players who started the World Cup final were named in the starting line-up, and before the match their opponents showed their solidarity with their counterparts by posing together next to a banner that read #SeAcabo – which translates to ‘It’s past’.
Spain’s players also posed with clenched fists in their pre-match photo.
Spain took the lead in their first game as world champions, with Athenea del Castillo opening the scoring, before taking the lead again thanks to a goal from former Chelsea defender Magdalena Eriksson. They eventually won 3-2.