Soccer-England's Walsh hope Spain can enjoy Euro final after Rubiales controversy

The Star

2 days ago

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - UEFA Women's Euro 2025 - Semi Final - England v Italy - Stade de Geneve, Lancy, Switzerland - July 22, 2025 England's Keira Walsh in action with Italy's Manuela Giugliano REUTERS/Denis Balibouse/File Photo
ZURICH (Reuters) -England and former Barcelona midfielder Keira Walsh hopes that Spain are able to enjoy the Euro 2025 final on Sunday after the controversy that clouded their 2023 World Cup triumph.
Defending champions England meet Spain in Basel on Sunday, two years on from a World Cup final that was overshadowed by then Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales kissing striker Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the game.
"There's a lot of respect between both the teams and, I think the most important thing for them as a footballer, is that they can enjoy this final – that there's not the controversy surrounding it," Walsh said from England's base camp on Thursday.
"The girls deserve to be there to play incredible football. The way our league jumped after we won the (2022) Euros, if you compare it to Spain it probably wasn't the same and they won the World Cup," said Walsh, who played 64 games for Barcelona before joining Chelsea.
"After the final there was a lot of controversy and I don't think, for them, there was enough spotlight on how incredible they played. It was all about the other stuff.
"As a professional, that was disappointing to see. I have a lot of friends in that team and I think they probably deserved a little bit more than what they got."
Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault for the unsolicited kiss during the World Cup medal ceremony, and fined over 10,000 euros ($12,000). The incident sparked widespread debate about sexism in Spanish society and women's football, fuelling momentum for the "Me Too" movement in the country.
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(Reporting by Lori Ewing)