Comfort after the kissing incident? “What happened will simmer for years to come,” says Meryl van Dongen.

The ‘kissing incident’ is rarely discussed in Spanish football dressing rooms. Dutch international Meryl van Dongen, who plays for Atletico Madrid, says it is very sensitive. “Within my team there are completely different views on the struggle for liberation.”

Exactly a year ago, soccer player Meryl van Dongen spoke about the news of that moment: it emerged that her teammates in the United States were falling victim to misconduct by male coaches and administrators in droves. “In our sport, the limits are not crossed in the search for gold, but because we are women,” she said at the time.

Now Spanish players are the topic of discussion. After their World Championship win last summer, federation president Luis Rubiales kissed Jennifer Hermoso full on the mouth during the medal ceremony. The incident – a combination of abuse of power and sexual harassment – once again confirms the Netherlands international’s analysis.

To make you desperate? Van Dongen always looks like a fighter, both inside and outside the lines. The defender is one of the most fanatical players in the training sessions of the Dutch national team. She is also a committed member of the FIFPro Global Players Council.

The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) announced on Monday that Rubiales would be suspended for three years. How is the Hermoso issue going in the Spanish dressing room at the moment?

“What happened may simmer for years to come. There is a long history of unequal treatment by the union. It came to a head at the World Cup.”

Van Dongen (30 years old) plays for Atletico Madrid. Of the Dutch squad, only Esme Protes is active in the Spanish competition in Barcelona, ​​but she says she doesn’t understand much of the language yet and “so has no idea if she’s still an item.” Van Dongen has lived in the southern European country for some time and recently married Ana Romero, a former Spain international.

“In my club there are girls who want to play for the national team and girls who were not available to lobby the federation. Within the same team, people think completely differently about the struggle for liberation and act differently. This creates friction in the locker room.”

Is there now a dispute between the women themselves?

“Last year everyone was still in agreement. After the 2022 European Championship, a letter was sent to the federation, on behalf of the entire Spanish national team: ‘We will not play for our country unless things change.’ We talked about that a lot at Atletico at the time. But when it was decided… Calling up a number of players again to go to the World Cup went wrong with others. From that moment on it became an embarrassment in the dressing room and was not discussed anymore.

“It’s become a very sensitive topic and it still is actually. Because it’s really about the principles, the standards and the values ​​that you stand for. When it comes to that in the locker room, it becomes almost political and then you notice people prefer not to talk about it.

How do you look at him?

“I fully support the girls who fought for change within the association and are still fighting for it. Can’t you have been asking for very basic things for years and then the person who has been opposing you all this time, Rubiales, comes to the forefront and kind of seizes the profit?”

Rubiales and other Spanish pubos have now disappeared from the scene. What does that say?

“Obviously, Spanish women had to win the World Cup before they were really heard. That’s crazy, of course. On the other hand, things can certainly change. And that’s also the great thing about this World Cup. It gives hope to women’s football.” ”

What do you notice about changes in your daily practice?

“Not much, because it’s really well arranged at the club I play at. We have two directors, nice facilities and we’ve been helped with everything. The only thing I’ve noticed is the increased interest from the media, fans and sponsors.

You talk about hope, but a year ago there was an American abuse case, and now again in Spain. Are you making any progress?

“Absolutely. It’s important to continue to look at women’s football from a helicopter perspective. Look at where we were ten years ago and where we are now. Then you can only conclude that we are making tremendous progress. Women’s football is growing, in terms of attendance numbers, in stature, And in everything. It is logical that sometimes something goes wrong. With change always comes problems.

If translated to the Netherlands, does this also include the hype around rainbow expressions? Such as the recent decision by the Dutch Football Association to suspend the leadership of One Love and the refusal of four Telstar footballers to play in such a shirt. Aren’t these reactions to the struggle for inclusion and equality?

“I think this has nothing to do with women’s football. Not only do the colors of the rainbow represent the inclusivity of women, but it’s also a statement against something like racism. But I understand that this connection exists, because women’s football is a good example of how to do that. Everyone is welcome “In our stadium, no matter where you come from, what color you are, who you like. There are never cheers. And that is our strength too.”

Read also:

Meryl van Dongen: Boundaries have been crossed because we are women, not because of the search for gold

Cases of abuse in women’s football are also piling up. America last week, Spain and Ajax last month. International athlete Meryl van Dongen explains what makes her sport unique: “We are in a stronghold of men, which brings us all kinds of problems.”