A touch of class! England boss Sarina Wiegman dedicates Women's Coach of the Year award to World Cup winners Spain amid Luis Rubiales scandal

Sarina Wiegman UEFA Women's Coach of the Year 2023Getty

The Dutch coach accepted the award and expressed her solidarity with World Cup winners Spain amid the ongoing Rubiales scandal.

Wiegman, who guided England to the World Cup final this year, talked about being hurt by the situation and the controversy, claiming that despite the advancements in the women's game, it still has "a long way to go".

“We all know the issues around the Spanish team and it really hurts me as a coach, as mother of two daughters, as a wife and as a human being,” Wiegman said.

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“The game has grown so much, but there’s also still a long way to go in women’s football and in society. And I would like to dedicate this award to the Spanish team, the team that plays in the World Cup such great football.

“This team deserves to be celebrated and deserves to be listened to and I’m going to give them again a big applause and I hope you will join.”

The Spanish women’s football team is surrounded by controversy after their World Cup win after federation president Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the post-match celebrations and also grabbed his crotch.

The move drew widespread criticism with great consequences as the entire women's team decided to step down until Rubiales' actions were acted upon.

The situation regarding Rubiales and his future is still up in the air as FIFA are looking into the incident, having already suspended him.