Key facts
- Spain's first women's national football team played internationally in the 1970s without official federation support.
- Conchi Sánchez Freire, known as Conchi Amancio, was a captain and prolific scorer for the pioneering team.
- A new film, 'Pioneers. They Just Wanted to Play,' by Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz, highlights these players' stories.
- The team faced significant obstacles, including a lack of official recognition and institutional support.
- The Royal Spanish Football Federation officially recognized the team's contributions in 2019.
A new film, 'Pioneers. They Just Wanted to Play,' is bringing the story of Spain's first women's national football team to the big screen. The team played international matches in the early 1970s, during the Franco dictatorship, without official support or recognition from the Spanish federation, UEFA, or FIFA.
Led by captain Concepción Sánchez Freire, widely known as Conchi Amancio, these players travelled the country to promote a sport that was largely viewed with suspicion. Amancio, considered one of Spain's first female professional footballers, had a distinguished 25-year career playing in Italy and England, scoring over 500 goals, yet remains largely unknown to the public.
Director Marta Díaz de Lope Díaz was inspired to make the film by the lack of awareness surrounding these pioneers. The team's matches were considered 'clandestine' due to the absence of official backing, with players even forbidden from using official crests or national anthems. A pivotal match on December 8, 1970, in Madrid, drew an estimated 7,000 to 8,000 spectators, where a 13-year-old Amancio scored all five of her team's goals, instantly becoming a sensation.
Amancio's talent quickly led her to a professional career abroad, signing with Gamma 3 Padua for a reported 100,000 pesetas. The film explores not only the sporting journey but also the broader fight for women's rights in Spain, placing the players' actions within the context of Francoist Spain and the societal constraints they faced.
In 2019, the Royal Spanish Football Federation officially recognized the team, acknowledging an 'unpaid debt' to these women who were instrumental in transforming women's football into a recognized sport. The director emphasizes that the film is a 'social feat' that highlights the progress made by women in Spain, not just in sports but in all aspects of life.