See acabo.
These two words – which mean ‘it’s all over’ in English and were first posted on social media by midfielder Alexia Putellas – changed Spanish football forever.
Putellas, followed by many others, posted ‘se acabo’ after Spain’s 2023 World Cup victory was overshadowed by Luis Rubiales, the president of the country’s football federation, planting a kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso.
It was a kiss that Rubiales said was consensual, but Hermoso said that was not the case.
Now, Netflix has released a documentary titled ‘It’s All Over: The Kiss That Changed Spanish Football’, which covers the build-up to the tournament, the kiss and the fallout that followed.
BBC Sport covers the main themes of the documentary.
The kiss
The documentary, which has been translated into English, opens with several players from Spain’s World Cup-winning squad speaking about the impact of the kiss.
Later there is footage of the kiss itself and the moment Rubiales grabbed his crotch as he stood next to members of the Spanish royal family after Spain defeated England in the final.
Even in the immediate aftermath, there were questions about his conduct, but Rubiales, who has denied any wrongdoing, quickly called the criticism “so stupid” in an interview with Spanish media.
“We didn’t know it at the time. At that moment we were happy for the title,” said defender Irene Paredes.
“Little by little we realized what happened next. The news and the pressure and commentary from the media kept increasing and we knew something big had happened.”
Something big had happened, but for Hermoso this was just the beginning.
The 34-year-old claims she was pressured by the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) to say the kiss was consensual, while she also said some of her friends and family had been asked to play down the incident. The RFEF has not responded to the claims.
“Before boarding the plane, Jenni told me she was pressured to make a statement to protect Rubiales,” said Amanda Gutierrez, president of players’ union Futpro.
“She [Hermoso] said, ‘No, why would I do that? I won’t sign anything. I don’t want to make any statements. But I’m very stressed because they won’t stop pressuring me.”
Arsenal defender Laia Codina added: “Jenni was devastated and she started to understand everything that was happening. We knew we were almost home. She also looked worried and scared.”
The aftermath
Five days after Spain’s historic victory, a defiant Rubiales repeatedly insisted during an emergency meeting of the RFEF that he would not resign.
Putellas, who was on vacation at the time of the meeting, said she was “outraged.”
She said: “The lies, the attitude, defending himself, but at the same time he attacked Jenni.
“Those people knew the truth and applauded him just to protect themselves.”
It was the turning point. Later that day, 81 Spanish players – including all 23 who went to the World Cup – announced that they would not play for the Spain women’s team until Rubiales was removed from his position.
“We wanted a structural change. We needed a change because the system couldn’t stay like this,” Putellas said.
Putellas, who launched the ‘se acabo’ movement that was followed by both her fellow actors and wider Spanish society, added: “It had exploded and there was no going back.”
However, it took more than two weeks after the players’ statement to the RFEF and a wave of further condemnation for Rubiales to admit defeat and resign from his post.
The 47-year-old has since been banned from all football-related activities by FIFA for three years, while earlier this year it was announced that he will face trial for sexual assault for kissing Hermoso without her consent. He denies the accusations and says he is the victim of a “social murder”.
The player boycott eventually came to an end when they reached an agreement with the RFEF, which apologized and committed to “immediate and profound change”.
“The fact that our entire team, as well as players from all over the world, were willing to take a stand gave me so much strength for everything. I think it gave me a superpower to confront and keep going .” Hermoso said in the documentary.
“As a result, we have set a precedent, and there are so many women who can feel empowered.”
BBC Sport has asked the RFEF for a response to the allegations in the documentary, but has not yet received a response.
The structure
The documentary also addresses the fact that Spain’s problems started well before the 2023 World Cup – which Codina says they entered as a “fractured group” with no “sense of unity.”
Jorge Vilda, the manager in charge during Spain’s World Cup triumph, was only the second person to manage La Roja since 1988.
His predecessor Ignacio Quereda was in office for almost 27 years and only resigned when his entire squad called for his resignation following their poor performance at the 2015 World Cup.
“He treated us like we were his little girls,” claimed goalkeeper Lola Gallardo, while fellow goalkeeper Sandra Panos said Quereda sometimes made “vulgar comments.”
There were also problems under Vilda.
In September 2022, after a disappointing performance at the Women’s Euros, the RFEF released a statement revealing that 15 players had submitted identical emails saying they would not play for Vilda unless “significant” concerns about their “emotional condition” and “health” were taken away.
‘Las 15’ – as the players became known – denied claims that they had asked for Vilda’s dismissal, but tension ensued over reports of concerns over training methods and inadequate match preparation.
“Jorge was in charge of everything. He wanted to be in control of everything,” Putellas claimed.
Former Spanish player Vero Boquete added: “When you come into a national team with demanding players, you fear what they will do. He was afraid we would speak out, so he wanted control over us.”
After his dismissal, Vilda said he has a “clear conscience” and that personal criticism was “unfair”.
The documentary details the negative media attention that ‘Las 15’ received, as Irene Paredes claimed that her messages to Rubiales, which she said included requests for improvements to the national team, were leaked to the press.
Spain entered the tournament against a backdrop of turmoil, but when they left as world champions it was seen as a personal victory for both Rubiales and Vilda.
Ivana Andres, captain under Vilda, said: “After so much work, after so much effort we put in, they stole that from us.”
