Spain captain Irene Paredes said she believes that the attitude towards women’s football in the country are changing after their 2023 World Cup victory in Australia.
The reigning world champions have reached the final of a European Championship for the first time and will face old foes England on Sunday in a rematch of the World Cup final, where Spain won 1-0.
Since their 2023 victory, Paredes, 34, said that “steps forward have been taken” to help overturn the attitude towards women’s football in Spain.
“I think that way of thinking is disappearing from society,” Paredes told a news conference on Saturday. “I still think we have to keep opening doors, normalising situations that are becoming more and more normal and that have to be normal.
“At that time, after that press conference, with the victory, a lot of walls came down.
“We are role models for more and more children, for everyone in society. Everything helps, but we are on the right track.”
Spain’s World Cup win was overshadowed by disgraced former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales kissing forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent.
An 18-month long legal battle ensued as charges were brought against Rubiales. On June 25, Spain’s High Court upheld a verdict that found Rubiales guilty of sexual assault.
Paredes admitted that she is “really enjoying” this tournament, with improved facilities, staffing and planning compared to the 2023 World Cup.
Head coach Montse Tomé echoed the sentiment, saying that she is happy the players are able to focus fully on football and that they are fully prepared for facing England on Sunday.
“The day-to-day work of this team has been spectacular, both the players and the staff and tomorrow is a day to go into the match well prepared and hope that everything goes smoothly,” she said.
“I think that if we talk about deserving it, for everything, because I believe that we are a team, a squad, they are players who have been fighting, working, putting in a lot of effort in many places, and now they are able to focus on the important thing, which is the football.
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“This has given us all incredible experience, it has meant that all of us professionals who accompany the team can really enjoy our profession, that I can sit here and all the questions you ask me are about football.
“I think this is one of the greatest things that signifies or reflects the change we are achieving and that right now I believe that the team deserves it for all their effort,” she said, happy that the conversation had veered away from the off pitch troubles from the last tournament.
It will be a familiar face in the opposite dugout as Spain face reigning champions England, but Paredes identified the Lionesses as the team to beat early in the tournament and believe they are still favourites to retain their title.
“From day one, I said that the favourites were England, and they still are,” she said.
“There are also other teams that have fallen by the wayside that had already been European champions. I do believe that both teams deserve to be in the final.
“We are where we wanted to be. At the start of the tournament, we set ourselves the goal of playing six matches and we’re working on it, tomorrow is the sixth.”
Paredes also said that the noise or consideration of who is more likely to win does not permeate the camp.
“The favourites stuff doesn’t come inside the camp. We are very clear about what it takes, what it has cost us to get here, how we have to suffer in every match, what we have to focus on,” she said.
“Everything else, I think, is something that doesn’t add to our cause.”
The match will likely hold a lot of emotion for both sides, with Spain eager to grab the one trophy that has eluded them, they have never made it past the quarterfinals in the last four tournaments — while England, who have had an up and down tournament are keen to retain their title at all costs.
“I think we have a team that has played important matches and big tournaments. So, each one of us knows how to manage that tension a little bit, those emotions that sometimes perhaps come to the surface a little more.
“We see it as an opportunity to continue making history, to do something great, an opportunity to show what we are, to continue enjoying ourselves and making people enjoy themselves,” Paredes said.
