Lionesses star Jess Carter says Spain FA president's decision to kiss player was 'unacceptable'

England defender Jess Carter told ITV News that Luis Rubiales' behaviour had 'tarnished a little bit' Spain's World Cup final win

Lionesses star Jess Carter has criticised Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales' decision to kiss midfielder Jenni Hermoso at Sunday's World Cup final, calling it "unacceptable".

Chelsea Women defender Carter said Rubiales' behaviour "tarnished a little bit" Spain's 1-0 win against England, which gave them a first ever World Cup crown in the women's game.

FIFA have opened disciplinary proceedings against Rubiales, who was also seen grabbing his crotch in celebration of La Roja's victory while stood metres away from Spain's Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter Sofia.

Speaking to ITV News, Carter questioned if similar scenes would ever be mirrored in the men's game, calling Rubiales' kiss with Hermoso "one of the most disrespectful things that you could do".

"For me, Spain have just achieved an incredible thing and it's almost been tarnished a little bit by one person’s actions," she said.

"I can't speak on what's going on with the Spanish Federation. It's not something I fully understand, but for me that moment ruined what should have been only a massive celebration for Spain and for Jenny Hermoso."

A separate controversy which followed England's World Cup journey was Nike's decision not to sell replica jersey's of England goalkeeper Mary Earps.

The sportswear manufacturer, on Thursday, announced a U-turn its stance, confirming it will be selling limited numbers of women's goalkeeper jerseys for England, the US, France and the Netherlands.

But Carter said the saga left her feeling "frustrated", adding it "singled out" England's goalkeepers during the World Cup as well as supporters who wished to purchase goalkeeper jerseys.

'I don't believe that it's that difficult to make a goalkeeper jersey'

She said: "You wouldn't do that to three outfield players, you wouldn't just not put Lucy Bronze or Alessia Russo or just two people's jersey's not on sale.

"So, for me that's something that wasn't acceptable in the beginning to not do that, but equally how hard is it just to say sorry?"

Carter added: "You're Nike, like you are able to create a jersey, you're able to create thousands of other jersey's in the world.

"I don't believe that it's that difficult to make a goalkeeper jersey."

Carter was speaking days after the Lionesses had arrived back in England and, despite not returning with silverware, she described her pride at making the World Cup final.

The 25-year-old, who grew up in Warwick, also spoke of the obstacles England had to overcome in the build-up and during the tournament itself, including long-term injuries to captain Leah Williamson and Fran Kirby, plus Lauren James' red card against Nigeria.

She added: "I think for me right now, with it being my first tournament it's just nothing but pride, and I can understand why maybe some other people will take it a bit harder, the loss, because we got so close.

"But right now all I feel is just ultimately like kind of happiness and pride for kind of what we've achieved."

Carter said she will take particularly fond memories from the tournament of time spent with her teammates outside of matches.

"We actually had I think with our first two weeks on the Sunshine Coast, and after dinner, I think it was a bit more of a coincidence, but almost the whole team just went and sat at the beach after dinner," she said.

"And it was something... it was just so minimal and it was only like a five minute walk, but it was just a really nice, calm [and] special moment, and it's just something that... it wasn't planned, it was just let's all go for a walk and ended up all kind of meeting there.

"And that was really special to just have I guess half hour away from football to just sit and reset."

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