Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona Femeni forced to award their own medals

Spanish Super Cup: Barcelona Femeni forced to award their own medals

Yesterday evening, Barcelona Femeni beat Real Sociedad in the Spanish Women's Super Cup Final. It was a very one-sided encounter as Sociedad crashed 0-3 to an unstoppable Barça team.

Goals were from Asisat Oshoala and Aitana Bonmati with a brace.

Despite the happy occasion for the Catalonians, when the time arrived to hand out the players medals a rare image occurred.

Jonatan Giráldez's were forced to pick up their own medals and put them over their heads. This was instead of being congratulated by the Spanish President as usual.

Like one may think, this was not because of some COVID-19 sanitary restrictions that we might have seen in the past. It happened because of the conflict that opposes professional women players and the RFEF.

Both teams in the final are currently in this fight over the treatment of players in the national team. The unhealthy environment in the locker rooms and the methods employed by head coach Jorge Vilda are all at the centre of the issue.

Would this ever happen in a men’s competition?

Conflicts between clubs and national entities are frequent among men’s sport as well. But there have not yet been instances where players had to award their medals or trophies themselves.

Could anyone imagine FC Barcelona award themselves their own medals when they win LaLiga. They are currently in conflict with LaLiga over the Super League yet it is unimaginable. Or again, one of the Super League original teams awarding themselves their silverware in case they win the Champions League.

The AFE has since released an official statement:

"The Association of Spanish Footballers wants to report by means of this communiqué the events in the final of the Supercopa of feminine Spain contested in Mérida, in which the footballers of the Football Club Barcelona, brilliant champions of the tournament, and of the Real Sociedad were despised, between other things, during the moment to collect the medals of champions and subcampeón".