History of soccer in Spain

There have been pronounced gender discrepancies throughout Spain's soccer history, particularly regarding the growth of women's soccer in the nation. Men have always dominated soccer in Spain, and women's soccer has struggled to get funding, visibility, and support. Despite its widespread popularity, women were not previously permitted to play soccer since it was seen as a men's sport. Women's soccer started to take off in Spain in the 1970s. The first Spanish women's national team was organized in 1980, and the Spanish Women's Football Championship was established in 1971. Spain has since developed several outstanding female players as women's soccer has become popular there.

Although women's soccer in Spain started to emerge in the 1970s, it wasn't until the 1980s and 1990s that it began to take off and become more organized. However, the national soccer federation's lack of investment, support, and recognition and societal and cultural prejudices against women's sports have hampered the growth of women's soccer in Spain. According to a Spanish National Council of Sports study, only 3% of Spanish media coverage is allocated to women's sports, with women's soccer receiving a small portion of that attention (UEFA, 2022).

Spanish men's soccer has played an essential role in the nation's history, culture, and identity. The sport's history is lengthy and varied, spanning more than a century, and it has given rise to some of the world's most well-known teams and athletes. The intense rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid, two of the most recognizable soccer teams in the world, dates back to the early 20th century. Some of the best players in the world have come from Spanish soccer. Despite its achievements and successes, scandals and controversies have always marred men's soccer in Spain. Soccer's integrity has been endangered by doping, corruption, and political interference, which have also prompted concerns about the sport's place in Spanish culture.

Improvements have been made in gender equality in soccer, but there are still significant gaps between men's and women's teams in Spain. Women's soccer, for instance, still needs more funding and support than men's soccer. The Spanish women's national team went on strike in 2019 to protest their poor wages, working conditions, and lack of resources. Despite having more tremendous success in international contests than the men's squad, they claimed this was unjust treatment. The Spanish Football Federation accepted a new collective agreement after the strike was successful, improving female players' circumstances.

The continuous battle between the Spanish government and the separatist area of Catalonia, which has its soccer league and teams, has been among the biggest debates in Spanish soccer in recent years. When Catalonia held a contentious independence vote in 2017 and was confronted with a brutal police onslaught, the war erupted. This sparked demonstrations and demands for boycotts in Catalonia, including those of the national soccer team and the Spanish soccer league.

The subject of racism and prejudice, both on and off the field, has been a source of controversy in Spanish soccer. The Spanish soccer federation opened an inquiry into claims that Valencia midfielder Mouctar Diakhaby had been subjected to racial insults during a game against Cadiz in 2021. Numerous people were outraged by the event and demanded that more be done to combat racism in Spanish soccer (BBC, 2021).

References

Mouctar Diakhaby: Valencia president says alleged racist abuse shows football must change. (n.d.). Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/56642662

UEFA.com. (2022, August 02). Women's football in Spain: Inside UEFA. Retrieved April 13, 2023, from https://www.uefa.com/insideuefa/news/0277-1591944f95c4-22b8b8651ced-1000--women-s-football-in-spain/