Lionesses boss Sarina Wiegman and striker Alessia Russo have praised Jenni Hermoso and Spain for their 'courage' during the Luis Rubiales case.

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Rubiales kissed Hermoso after Spain won World CupWas found guilty of sexual assault last week Lionesses praise 'courage' of player and whole teamFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?

Luis Rubiales was found guilty of sexual assault last week after kissing Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain beat England in the 2023 Women's World Cup final. It came some 18 months after the initial incident and does not appear to be the conclusion of the saga, with Hermoso's intention to appeal something Wiegman said showed "remarkable courage" and "bravery".

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Many of Spain's players went to Madrid to testify in the case, including Russo's Arsenal team-mate Laia Codina, and the team themselves have had to continue performing while it has all being going on, coming back from 2-0 down to beat Belgium late on Friday, just a day after the ruling was announced. On Wednesday, they face England at Wembley in a repeat of that World Cup final, and while the emotions are surely still raw from all that has gone on.

WHAT WIEGMAN AND RUSSO SAID

Asked what that said of Spain, to win in those circumstances at the end of a monumental week, Wiegman said: "It says how brave they are. It says, first of all, that it is a very good team. Spain has a very good team. But it also says that they show resilience and they're so brave. We're talking about it again today. I think we have to keep talking about it, I would almost say unfortunately, and we have to keep telling the world that we stand in solidarity with them and hopefully it will make change. I think it already made change, but now we want to talk football again and play an incredible game tomorrow here at Wembley."

Russo added: "We've stood in solidarity with them since the moment that it begun and it's really a shame that they've had to have gone through this, but we hope that it makes change going forward. It's a testament to the players to be so brave to speak out but also to still be performing at the level that they are. I've got teammates that have been through it and they've acted with so much class through it all. We stand with them and back them all the way.

"We're all with them through the process. I know it's been tough on teammates who I've played with. They're fantastic girls and they act with so much class. I think it's a real shame, what they've been through, but they've been professional through it all and have never let their football standard slip, so massive respect to them all."

DID YOU KNOW?

So many players have shown solidarity with Hermoso and Spain over the past 18 months, not just England's, leaving Wiegman and Russo keen to emphasise the value of the community across women's football.

"I think in the women's game, that community, that's kind of special," Wiegman said. "We're absolutely competing when we play each other but when we go off the pitch, we support each other, we support the Spanish, they're in a situation, but I think overall, women's football players are supporting women's football players and women in society. I think that's a bigger picture than just that."

Russo agreed. "I think the community that women's football has is really special and quite unique about the game," she said. "I think whether it be good or bad, we help and we come together as one. I think we're really good at celebrating each other's successes. Ultimately, we all want the same for women's football. We want it to be at the highest level without moments like this happening. But I think the community of women's football in general is really special."