The Women's Rolling Football Thread season 2023-24

[DuncinToffee]

Calling all football fans to discuss all things related to the beautiful game

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https://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2023/aug/28/luis-rubiales-rfef-spain-world-cup-se-acabo-la-liga

Committee of Territorial Presidents of RFEF call for:

• Immediate resignation of Rubiales
• Restructure of strategic positions
• Immediate withdrawal of most recent communication to UEFA + FIFA
• Unanimous support to acting President Rocha to lead dialogue & reconciliation

Does Rubiales actually still think there is a way back? Man is delusional

More developments. His own organisation has turned against him. I expect they can see which way the wind is blowing and are opting for self-preservation over loyalty.

https://news.sky.com/story/luis-rubiales-spanish-football-federation-calls-for-president-to-resign-over-world-cup-kiss-12949905

I saw that Emily Ramsey has signed for Everton after being on loan last season. Will Izzy Christiansen be a loss? I have heard her a few times doing sports broadcasting and enjoyed her insights.

Rubiales is now making headlines on the main news, not just sports news. His complete lack of insight and remorse is unbelievable. I can't see FIFA allowing him to carry on when he is bringing the game into disrepute.

Vidal for the chop now.
I think Fifa and now the Spanish Federation want quick sackings and an early end to this. I suspect that the players, the politicians and some of the officials want an inquiry and wholesale reform.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/66645618

*Vilda

I can't see FIFA allowing him to carry on when he is bringing the game into disrepute

I'd like to believe that, but the snag is we are talking about FIFA, who have been bringing the whole world organisation into disrepute for years.

His complete lack of insight and remorse is unbelievable.

This, and I am still hopeful that that is why they need to do a complete and thorough investigation of the whole National Association, including why 15 players were willing to refuse to play for their Country beforehand. It is that investigation that ought to get rid of Vilda surely, not what he has or hasn't said since the Rubiales incident on final day. Those 12 women that potentially missed out on a World Cup Medal because of the way they were treated shouldn't be forgotten in all this.

His very public act should be about him of course, but I hope it is the trigger for a much wider investigation into culture in the Spanish FA.

In other Spain fallout, women's coach Jorge Vilda has reportedly accepted his position is untenable. However, he is refusing to leave his contract with the Spanish FA, despite huge pressure for him to do so.

That's a bizarre position to take - my position is untenable but I won't resign???

Hoping for a big payoff. Absolutely no surprise whatsoever that it's ultimately all about the money.

I like the recent developments but I still hope that getting rid of a couple of officials will not be the end of it. There has to be a wide-ranging inquiry and the women - the players and some of the officials, coaches and backroom staff - have to have their say publicly.

I see that Angeles Bejar (Rubiales' mother) was admitted to hospital during her hunger strike but has now been discharged. Aleksander Ceferin has also been quoted as saying it was 'inappropriate' so let's hope this is a turning point.

Changing the subject, I was delighted that Rachel Daly won the PFA women's player of the year. This is their 22/23 team of the year:

Mary Earps (Manchester United), Rafaelle Souza (Arsenal), Alex Greenwood (Man City), Maya Le Tissier (Man Utd), Ona Batlle (Man Utd), Frida Maanum (Arsenal), Guro Reiten (Chelsea), Yui Hasegawa (Man City), Sam Kerr (Chelsea), Khadija Shaw (Man City), Rachel Daly (Aston Villa).

Apart from the obvious omissions due to injury, I was surprised not to see Lauren James in it. Any other thoughts about who should have been included or not?

According to Alex Ibaceta - football journalist and ex-player, Rubiales hasn't even been in touch with his mum about her hunger strike! Any decent man would say: I appreciate the support, Mum, but this isn't your fight.

Apart from the obvious omissions due to injury, I was surprised not to see Lauren James in it. Any other thoughts about who should have been included or not?

I'm not surprised about Lauren James. The competition was fierce and she hasn't been consistently amazing all the way through the season for Chelsea. Guro Reiten and Sam Kerr have, Frida Maanum has for Arsenal, etc.

Yes, LJ seems to play better for England (when she isn't getting sent off) compared to how she plays for Chelsea.

She won the PFA young player of the year award.

I see Arsenal is planning a second bid for Mary Earps

I was quite stunned when I read about that offer! I can't see ManU agreeing but hopefully it might make them stop and wonder why their top players are interested in pastures new despite being in the CL.
This interview with Mary Earps is lovely but here is what she says about her current contract with United.

After graduating, she joined the England Women’s senior squad as fourth-choice keeper for the UEFA Women's Euro 2017, and moved to United after a 2018 stint with Bundesliga champions VfL Wolfsburg. To the kid in the yellow jersey, she would have been a hero. But when it came time to renew her United contract in early 2021, Earps found, amazingly, that the amount on offer wasn’t enough to live on.
According to an August 2022 BBC analysis, WSL players earn an average of £47,000 per year, while the average (male) Premier League player might earn £60,000 in a single week. “It’s a different wealth to the men’s game. We can’t sit on a cushy wad,” Earps says. Instead, she had to face the sobering reality that continuing to play would put her financial future at risk.
Her family offered advice; United Men’s goalkeeper David de Gea urged her not to make a hasty decision. “It was really sad,” Earps says, “I didn't want to give it up but I couldn't see a way out.” For the first time in her life, she took out a credit card to make ends meet.
An updated offer came through at the 90th minute. Earps realised she could just about afford to keep playing, squeezing every drop out of the next two years while making plans for retirement. She accepted, signing with United until 2023, with the option of a further year’s extension.
Full article here:
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/article/mary-earps-world-cup-interview-2023

Admittedly, she wasn't the superstar that she is now, but not to be offered a proper wage to re-sign....!

VAR will be trialled at Kingsmeadow this weekend when Chelsea face Roma in a pre-season friendly.

Ooh, exciting!

And here is Sarina Wiegman showing solidarity with Spain's women footballers (via the X Twitter account of the journalist I quoted earlier):

https://twitter.com/alexibaceta23/status/1697300241760805150?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet

I absolutely love Sarina Wiegman. I thought her statement was perfect.

I didn't know that they will be using VAR at the Chelsea match, DuncinToffee. I think Chelsea own their stadium, in contrast to some other WSL clubs I read somewhere that this is a real advantage because the club isn't reliant on another owner for improvements to take place. I also wonder if the referee will talk through her decisions with the spectators. It was very satisfying that VAR in the Women's World Cup was better than in men's games because spectators and viewers were told what was happening.

Jorge Vilda sacked. All about who replaces him now...

https://news.sky.com/story/spanish-womens-football-team-coach-jorge-vilda-sacked-in-wake-of-rubiales-kiss-furore-12955553

The Spanish FA have also issued an apology for the 'totally unacceptable' behaviour of Luis Rubiales who kissed Jenni Hermoso at the world cup final.

He is still only suspended as far as I know

Thank goodness Spain won the WC and that he kissed her or Vilda would probably never have been sacked.

Slovenia as well

https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/slovenia-womens-coach-borut-jarc-steps-down-after-31-players-protest/bltd742d4badaa74fd1

I wonder if he would have resigned if it hadn't been for the Spanish kiss.

Zambian coach next? We can only hope.