Luis Rubiales resignation has to be ‘the start of something’ – Georgia Stanway

Georgia Stanway believes the resignation of Luis Rubiales should precipitate a wider look at how female players are treated (Zac Goodwin/PA)

England star Georgia Stanway insists the resignation of Spanish football federation president Luis Rubiales has to be “the start of something, not the end of something”.

Rubiales finally announced he was quitting as president of the RFEF on Sunday night, three weeks after he kissed Spain midfielder Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup final trophy presentation in Sydney.

Hermoso later said she had not consented to the kiss, but Rubiales has spent the last three weeks standing firm in saying he would not quit over the incident despite the opening of disciplinary proceedings by football’s world governing body FIFA and the instigation of a criminal complaint in the Spanish courts.

Stanway was part of the England team beaten by Hermoso and her team-mates in Sydney, and hopes the controversy over how this matter has been handled has a wider impact than just being the eventual trigger for Rubiales’ exit.

“Everybody’s fought and we fought as a women’s football group,” Stanway said.

“We fought as players, we’ve fought as staff, we’ve fought as journalists for the outcome to be what it is.

“Obviously, the outcome is what we want. But at the same time, we want this to be the start of something, rather than the end of something.

“We want to continue to be able to have these conversations, to feel comfortable to have these conversations, feel comfortable in your workplace, to be able to stand up for whatever you think is right.”

Rubiales had told an RFEF emergency general assembly on August 25 that he would not quit his post, but was provisionally suspended by FIFA the following day