VERONICA BOQUETE slammed the Spanish football association yesterday for failing to support the team before and during the Women’s World Cup in Canada.

Spain were knocked out in the group stages after failing to win a game, finishing bottom of their group.

Boquete, who captained her side in Canada, has claimed that neither manager Ignacio Quereda or FA president Angel MarIa Villar has spoken to the team since their elimination and blasted her country’s preparation for the tournament, saying they did not receive “the support or preparation” needed before a major tournament.

She told a Spanish radio station: “We have had a poor performance because we didn’t receive the support we need and the preparation that the Women’s World Cup requires.”

Boquete did acknowledge the support the team had received but hoped that “the situation will improve once all the barriers that have been there a long time” were removed and more money was invested — the Spanish FA’s budget is £111 million.

“Now that we have succeeded in giving steps forward, supported by many people, I hope you do not stop and we go to more (tournaments),” she added. “It is women’s football unfortunately. We have been representing our country at the highest level and there are things that have not been done well.”

Her comments echoed that of Ivory Coast manager Clementine Toure, who pleaded with Africa to get behind women’s football and give their teams a fighting chance at international tournaments.

“We have worked so hard to try to present a good image of Ivory Coast,” Toure said. “We wanted to do well in important matches like the one against Germany. We arrived 72 hours before the game and were very tired from a long journey of 15 hours and with jet lag.

“Those are things that we would like to correct, to arrive earlier and to play preparation games. We haven’t been able to play friendly games and this has hurt us.

“I want to make an appeal to not only our federation, but to all of Africa, that women’s football has arrived.

“We believe in our women. We have a good team. Today the Ivory Coast showed it deserves a place in the World Cup. But we also deserved to be better prepared. We didn’t deserve to be humiliated.

“At this point I want to say that we want to see a higher investment, so that we can prepare with friendly matches,” Toure said.

“That’s what we need to take on the great teams. If we could get half the resources men do, that’s what we could do.”