'a Different World' - Spain's Transformation After World Cup Fallout

The past clip Spain played successful nan last of a awesome tournament, it was a watershed infinitesimal for nan country.

Not only did they triumph their first awesome women's trophy, but nan players were astir to find themselves astatine nan centre of a sexism scandal.

Instead of celebrating their historical World Cup triumph successful 2023, erstwhile they defeated England 1-0, Spain's triumph was overshadowed by controversy.

But astir 2 years later, La Roja are preparing to play nan Lionesses erstwhile again successful Sunday's Euro 2025 final.

What has unfolded successful nan meantime? And really different has this tourney been for Spain?

Euro 2025 final: England v Spain

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Just arsenic Spain were getting fresh to assistance nan World Cup trophy, Luis Rubiales - nan country's shot federation president - kissed striker Jenni Hermoso connected nan lips.

It was a buss that Rubiales said was consensual, but Hermoso said was not.

What followed was a large wind of criticism, wide protests and a tribunal lawsuit that recovered Rubiales blameworthy of intersexual assault.

Hermoso said nan incident had "stained 1 of nan happiest days" of her life.

In nan contiguous aftermath, 81 players - including each 23 World Cup winners - said they would not play for Spain again while Rubiales was successful charge.

"It was a difficult play for nan Spanish players," England midfielder Ella Toone said connected Friday.

"What they did successful nan World Cup, for that [the Rubiales incident] past to beryllium nan main talking point, I deliberation was really reliable for them and was thing they shouldn't person had to spell through."

The boycott only ended almost a period later erstwhile Spain's shot association, nan RFEF, promised "profound changes" pursuing a lengthy gathering pinch players and authorities officials.

Speaking to BBC Sport past month, Amanda Gutierrez - nan president of players' national Futpro - explained that nan RFEF promised to amended nan players' moving conditions and supply adjacent entree to nan aforesaid resources nan men's broadside had.

But person those changes been evident astatine Euro 2025?

"It's a different world," Spanish shot journalist Guillem Balague said. "The players are saying 'we only person to interest now astir playing', truthful that's wholly new."

Spain's performances person surely reflected that cognition arsenic they defeated Portugal, Belgium and Italy by a mixed people of 14-3 successful nan group stage.

Montse Tome's broadside past saw disconnected a stubborn Switzerland broadside successful nan quarter-finals, earlier scoring an extra-time victor against eight-time winners Germany to scope their first European Championship final.

Spain played 120 minutes successful their semi-final and played a time later than England, but erstwhile midfielder Vicky Losada said their intelligence resilience will thief them flooded their deficiency of betterment time.

"Knowing them, consecutive aft nan crippled against Germany they will beryllium reasoning astir doing thing they tin to beryllium fresh for this game," Losada told BBC Radio 5 Live's Football Daily.

"They person 24 hours little to retrieve but nan intelligence spot of nan girls, because of their experience, because of each they person won, is massive.

"The players connected nan squad are winners. For a batch of them, nan only awesome tourney they are missing is nan Euros. They cognize they person 1 opportunity."

Sara Alcaraz Guiterrez, a newsman for nationalist Spanish radio, said this is nan first tourney since nan 2023 World Cup wherever she hasn't had to "speak astir nan federation and what is happening inside".

"The players are much relaxed because they cognize everyone successful Spain is speaking conscionable astir nan Euros. It's for illustration 'finally'."

Former coach Jorge Vilda whitethorn person delivered World Cup glory to Spain, but he will beryllium remembered successful a antagonistic ray by immoderate for his domiciled successful their triumphant run.

The caput coach, who was booed by immoderate fans aft nan final, had survived a subordinate revolt earlier nan tourney and was viewed arsenic 1 of Rubiales' closest allies.

By his broadside connected nan touchline was Montse Tome, his adjunct coach who became his successor a fewer weeks aft nan World Cup final.

There were concerns astir her appointment, pinch galore viewing it arsenic a continuation of nan erstwhile regime, while she had nary erstwhile acquisition arsenic a caput coach.

With Tome astatine nan helm, Spain won nan inaugural Women's Nations League successful February 2024, but their fourth-place decorativeness 5 months later astatine nan Paris Olympics was deemed a failure.

However, their travel to nan Euro final, and nan unity wrong nan squad, look to person changed perceptions of nan erstwhile Spain midfielder.

"She cannot do immoderate amended successful position of results," said Balague. "She's not friends pinch them [the players]. She's not expected to beryllium either.

"You perceive her talk and she makes a batch of sense. She's sewage a clear thought of really to maximize nan potential.

"She's not a typical of nan erstwhile regime, but she was present. Even if that's successful nan backmost of nan mind of anybody, you look astir and it's a wholly different place. So I don't deliberation location is simply a batch of difficult feelings astir wherever she's been, because she's been rather fair."

Not only is Sunday's last successful Basel an opportunity for Spain to triumph their first European crown, but it's besides a chance to observe achieving a awesome trophy without a unreality of contention hanging complete them.

"It's thing outer that happened astatine nan time," Spain midfielder Alexia Putellas said.

"Now we're focused connected giving our champion to triumph this title. We're not reasoning astir celebrations aliases non-celebrations; we're only reasoning astir being prepared and doing good truthful that we tin get person to our goal."

The civilization wrong nan Spanish campy besides appears to person changed drastically from nan World Cup successful 2023, erstwhile they arrived successful New Zealand pinch a divided squad amid a backdrop of unrest astir past caput coach Vilda.

"The things person changed," Spain midfielder Aitana Bonmati added. "There's a very patient and agreed group. We tin spot that connected nan pitch. We each work together connected this."

Spain's Euro 2025 squad includes 11 World-Cup winning players, though Hermoso was not selected by Tome.

Balague explained: "They want to move on, and it makes sense,"

"The players I've spoken to, they each person mixed feelings. They [Rubiales and nan RFEF] took nan celebrations distant from them, but they changed our nine and nan measurement we deliberation astir women's football, and besides women successful society.

"They person precocious society. Nobody will springiness them a trophy for that."

Former Lionesses guardant Ellen White was portion of Sarina Wiegman's broadside beaten by Spain successful nan 2023 World Cup final, but said this group of Spanish players merit their infinitesimal successful nan spotlight.

"The contention was truthful horrible. I felt for nan full squad aft nan World Cup final," White told BBC Radio 5 Live. "They weren't capable to observe and person that monumental moment.

"This last brings them nan chance to create absolute history. Enjoy it, person thing other to deliberation astir and if they were to triumph to conscionable bask successful nan absolute joyousness of winning a tourney together arsenic a group of individuals. And hopefully nan full of Spain will beryllium celebrating what they person done.

"They merit this. They person worked truthful difficult and it would beryllium an perfectly astonishing infinitesimal for nan full team."