The success of a soccer team is not only measured by its titles, but by the time that its league matches are broadcast on television. Prime time is for the best, the ones who can generate more audience and advertising revenue. An indicator that something is changing is that the women's Barça of Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, Salma Paralluelo, Lucy Bronze or Keira Walsh had to debut this season (it seems that the strike in League F will postpone it) in the league competition against Valencia , at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, at 9:00 p.m. In other words, at the same time that the Barca men's team led by Robert Lewandowski, Gavi, Lamine Yamal or João Félix played their last game against Osasuna.
The summer of 2023 will forever be remembered for a kiss that shook everything and for an expression, "unmitigated", used perversely as a defense mechanism by some against the new social transformation led by women in the 21st century.
The meaning we give to words is a reflection of society. Why this obsession with distinguishing between "men's soccer" and "women's soccer" when soccer is just soccer, with the same rules and the same objective for men and women soccer players, that is, scoring goals and winning the game?
In this context, there are two areas in which the expression of "unmitigated" ideas is most frequently used. One is sport, where the headlines often tell us that "unmitigated" victories and defeats occur. The same thing happens in politics, with the same intention, as we can see in these two examples from the recent past, but with consequences today.
When someone states something "without palliatives" they mean "outright", "incontestable", "conclusive", "indisputable". But, this summer of absurdity starring the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, has taken this expression to other levels.
It has made us see (and before the whole world) that Spanish society urgently needs "palliative care", since it is sick, the pain spreads and nothing seems to mitigate it. On the contrary, it has been placed on a "palliative" level, that is, generating mental and political alibis capable of covering up, dissimulating or being honest with reality. And this is none other than this summer has been one of the most tragic in terms of sexist crimes.
Rubiales, in his speech before the General Assembly of the RFEF, not only refused to resign, but resorted to a "palliative" style attack against what he called "false feminism." Of course, she apologized "without palliatives" (we insist, verbatim, "without palliatives") for having touched her private parts in the authorities' box "in a moment of euphoria" when the Spanish women's soccer team was proclaimed champion. of the world.
Rubiales could have perfectly starred in the poster for Bigas Luna's film, Huevos de oro, where Javier Bardem appears playing the cataplines. What's more, he has his followers and has the profile to end up jumping into the arena of politics, taking advantage of the fact that in Spain there is still an ideological space based on winning votes by hell.
Rubiales was even more daring and played them next to an Infanta and Queen Letizia. But, as he apologized "unmitigatedly," his "palliative" mind kept telling him that he didn't have to resign. And, as we say, he has his defenders. Furthermore, it is difficult to leave a position that gives so many benefits: How is it possible that the president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation earns more money (much more) than the president of the Spanish Government himself?
In this sense, within his "palliative" strategy, Rubiales maintains that Jennifer Hermoso sought him out and that the flirting she gave him in front of millions of people was "free, mutual and consensual." The player has ended up reporting him to the Prosecutor's Office. As they say in Catalan: "Embolica que fa fort!"... The controversy seems to be going on for a long time.
That embarrassing "piquito", despite being a ridiculous word if there ever was one, still ends up competing with "amnesty" to be the word of the year. Not even Carles Puigdemont, in his staging of the tug-of-war with the investiture of Pedro Sánchez, can eclipse the global uproar that has arisen as a result of the shameful Rubilista spectacle. Now that has been a blow to the Spain brand and not the independence process.
There is talk of a "stolen kiss" (can there be anything sadder than stealing a kiss?), but the truth is that, since that final, the confrontation between feminists and sexists, which had already been going on for a long time, has worsened. Spain is experiencing a civil war of gender and identities, which is reflected in politics and all areas of society.
But, the real battle is fought in the words. A CT (Computerized Axial Tomography) is a diagnostic test with which, through the use of X-rays, radiographic images of the interior of the body are obtained in the form of cross sections or, if necessary, in the form of 3D images. It thus helps to discover, for example, a tumor or some bone pathology. The world of football has its own TAC, known as TAD (Administrative Court of Sports), who, after analyzing the evidence, has made its own diagnosis: it considers that Luis Rubiales' behavior was "serious", but not "very serious" .
Again, words (and how we use them) are capital. With this ruling, the president of the RFEF thought that he came out stronger and began to speak like a politician: "Those who must guarantee the separation of powers are putting pressure on me," in reference to the Government.
When Rubiales left the RFEF General Assembly applauded, the women's selectors, Jorge Vilda, and the men's selectors, Luis de la Fuente, were among those who applauded him by standing up in the front row. They seemed staunch supporters of their leader. But, it is curious how, later, in an attempt to save his salary when FIFA suspended Rubiales, both coaches "unmitigatedly" condemned the actions of his boss.
Yes, yes, both Vilda and De la Fuente also used the same expression, "without palliatives", in their respective statements in which they censured Rubiales for "his inappropriate behavior" and "out of place." Even more, when De la Fuente gave, days later, his first list of selections for Spain's qualifying matches for Euro 2024, he stated that he did not have to resign, but rather ask for forgiveness. And how did he do it? Well, again resorting to the expression "without palliatives."
What makes both Rubiales, Vilda and De la Fuente use these same two words, "without palliatives", to defend themselves? On the other hand, neither Aitana Bonmatí nor Sarina Wiegman (elected best player and coach of the year by UEFA) ever resorted to the "unmitigated" formula in their speeches, when they gave a strong call to attention about the situation of women who play soccer in Spain.
Was not necessary to. Only they have had to underline this expression to defend their version, but, nowadays, a picture is worth a thousand words. This is how "palliative" attitudes are unmasked "unmitigated." In this way, Vilda has already fallen, dismissed as women's coach, while the internationals have already warned that they will no longer play with Spain as long as Rubiales continues.
Montse Tomé, second on Vilda's staff, is the new women's national coach. She is the first woman to hold this position in Spain. Better late than never.
At the moment, there is now an interim president, Pedro Rocha, who, "saddened and ashamed", has apologized to the world of football and society in general on behalf of the RFEF. He is grateful that this time he did not do it "without palliatives", an expression that the men's team players did not use in their statement rejecting Rubiales.
For all those who can afford to take vacations, summer is "palliative" because it helps the mind and body rest from the months of work or study. But, this 2023, it will be remembered because the "palliative" miseries of the country have become visible. And, as we said, not only in football, but also in the politics that govern our daily lives and that places us in the world as a community.
This is how we have learned that Spain delivers weapons to Ukraine to help this country defend itself from Russia and, at the same time, we are the second largest buyer of Russian liquefied natural gas after China... With one hand we give Leopard tanks to Zelensky while with the other another we help Putin's economy. Another example of playing eggs.
So yeah, summer already
