Women's World Cup: the revolution after the storm
Imagining what would have happened with Jenni, Rubiales and us in an ideal world
Yes, before writing this edition I did ask myself if the world really needed another piece of content about the post-World Cup scandal involving the president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) Luis Rubiales.
There has been a constant flood of news, analysis and opinion pieces around the unfolding of what feels like an unfunny yet equally cringe and absurd episode of The Office - and it's exhausting. In this sea of bad news, I missed more solution-oriented content and reflections on the role of the different stakeholders in resolving the issue. So I set out to imagine how this whole situation would be handled in an ideal world.
(Of course in an ideal world this would have never happened, but bear with me here.)
The sponsors
In response to the leadership's inappropriate behaviour and crisis management, all the RFEF sponsors would react with strong stances and measures. They would demand a proper resolution in exchange for the continuity of their support. If they still encountered resistance, they would then reallocate the budget to supporting the World Cup champions individually. Jenni Hermoso and her teammates would be featured in every single advertising campaign, shorten that and become references of fearful and influential leaders in sport and beyond.
Adidas would create an exceptional deal and campaign for Jenni's jersey and we would see tons of people, from little girls to old men, sporting her kit around the world. They would use the profits to invest in female-led initiatives that promote gender equality in football.
The fans would literally and figuratively buy into the sponsor's initiatives, and these brands would grow their value, trust and reputation.
The leaders and authorities
The different authority entities and figures would also benefit from a boost in trust and reputation because they would not hesitate to take action to correct any behaviour and declaration that didn't align with their values and code of conduct. On that note, these institutions would take the opportunity to review their old structures and ways of working and better respond to an evolving world.
Clubs, federations and leagues would prioritise protecting players, fans and the game from all kinds of prejudice, abuse, discrimination and exclusion.
The president
Instead of antagonizing Jenni Hermoso and the other first Spanish Women's World Cup champions, Luis Rubiales would take a step back and a breath, and… apologize. Ta-da!
He would also use this as a chance to learn, change and teach others by example. He would probably find out that there is no shame in making a mistake if you can admit to it and learn from it. Plus, his mom would still be feasting on the great Mediterranean cuisine!
The outcome
In an ideal (but imperfect) world, this would be marked as a time when the world better understood what women go through in different work environments, and how seemingly harmless acts are actually disrespectful and hurtful towards women. It would be a trigger for long-lasting changes in football institutions, dynamics, business, and beyond.
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Back to the real and far-from-ideal world, is all the good confined to wishful thinking or can we still see positive change happen? What good things will come out of this messy situation?
I guess we will find out.
THE GOOD LINKS
😲 These records broken during the 2023 Women's World Cup.
🤝 This male Spanish football player who joined the women and stepped down from the national team.
🌍 The climate education workshops for the young players in the Arsenal Academy, hosted by Football for Future.
🎧 This podcast about the future and change - not football-related, but still thought it was worth the share.