What we have done has not been in vain - Bonmati

Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati says Spain's players "battled hard" during the Luis Rubiales case and it "has not been in vain".

Former Spanish football federation boss Rubiales was last week found guilty of sexual assault after kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the 2023 World Cup medal ceremony.

Players testified in court in support of Hermoso, after World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda was sacked by the federation as part of the incident.

Speaking before Spain's Women's Nations League match against England at Wembley Stadium on Wednesday, Bonmati said she hopes speaking out about what happened can help lead to change in football and wider society.

"I hope that this case makes changes in our country, in our football, to respect us better as footballers. But it's also a global case," the Barcelona forward said.

"I don't want to only speak about footballers. I think this happens in other jobs. I hope this case helps anyone who is going through these things.

"I believe this case happened for a reason and makes us more respectable as women. It has been difficult but it makes us more champions.

"We didn't only win on the pitch but also off the pitch. We are continuously fighting for our rights and women's rights. We know we have to suffer a lot and that makes us stronger."

Rubiales was acquitted of coercion, for allegedly trying to pressure Hermoso into saying publicly that the kiss was consensual.

"I was surprised that there was no sentence linked to coercion but the trial has served a purpose. We are all happy," added Bonmati.

"We have been doing well on the pitch and supporting our teammates. We have battled hard and we know what we have done has not been in vain."

Current Spain manager Montse Tome avoided answering direct questions about the case and wants to focus on footballing matters.

"My intention has been to ensure that when we are together on training camps and international duty, we are here to talk about football," said Tome.

"I'm grateful for questions about football and now the case is coming to an end our position is clear, we have sided with the player.

"We hope things can go back to normal now and we want to focus on football once again."