Jenni Hermoso enjoyed a perfect return to Spain duty with a late winner in their 1-0 UEFA Women’s Nations League victory in Italy.
Hermoso returned the squad for the first time since Spain’s FIFA Women’s World Cup final win over England in August which was followed by a storm of controversy.
The experienced striker was inadvertently stuck at the centre of a row over inappropriate conduct in office after being non consensually kissed by former RFEF president Luis Rubiales during the trophy parade in Sydney.
Hermoso received huge support for her stance of the incident being a watershed moment in connection to sexism and misogyny in football and she remained away from the selection.
Following sackings and promised RFEF reforms, players eventually filtered back, following a united protest behind Hermoso.
The Pachuca forward rejoined the panel for October’s games against Italy and Switzerland, following wins over Sweden and Switzerland in September.
Despite starting on the bench in Salerno, she made the key impact in the dying minutes, to stretch Spain’s post World Cup winning run to three games amid emotional scenes.
⚽️ ¡¡𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗟!!, ¡¡𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗟!!, ¡¡𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗢𝗟!!
Jenni Hermoso caza un balón dentro del área y la manda a la red. ¡Se adelanta España a muy poco del final!
📺 @La1_tve
🇮🇹 🆚 🇪🇸 I 0-1 I 88'#JugarLucharYGanar I #UWNL pic.twitter.com/m5aTzEByEa
— Selección Española Femenina de Fútbol (@SEFutbolFem) October 27, 2023
“What better joy than to get back here and feel good again, to score the goal that gets the win – now I can only smile”, as per quotes from TVE, via BBC Sport.
“Life sometimes gives you little gifts, and today I thought about a lot of people who have been behind me during this time.
“I am happy, because thanks to them, today I enjoyed football once again.”
Images via Getty Images
