The Spanish women’s football team, shrouded in controversy since winning the world title, began preparations for Nations League matches on Tuesday, with six of the 23 players called up meeting in Madrid. But some reluctantly joined the concentration.
From the capital, the players, who play for Real Madrid and Atlético de Madrid, and the technical staff will travel to Valencia, where the preparation camp will take place for the confrontations with Sweden and Switzerland.
On Monday, shortly after Montse Tomé, the new selector, included 15 world champions – after 21 of the 23 had resigned – on the selection list, the footballers responded in a statement.
In the document, the international footballers reaffirmed their position “desire not to be summoned for justifiable reasons” for the selection, which resulted in Montse Tomé’s call being rejected, leaving Jenni Hermoso out of the selection.
The selector justified the absence of the player at the center of the controversy that started with the kiss of the then federation president Luis Rubiales, with the need to “protect the captain of the team that won the World Cup from the noise of the media” . “.
Hermoso, who has already joined her team in Mexico, responded to the coach asking: “What do you want to protect me from?”.
Politically, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Miguel Iceta, guaranteed that the government would do so “You will not be a passive spectator” in the conflict pitting the players against the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and assured that the President of the Supreme Council of Sports (CSD) will be personally involved in the dispute.
“The RFEF is doing many things wrong. I believe that is clear. I believe that the call is abnormal and that it is necessary to correct the mistakes, if we really want to restore the path of success that had its greatest moment in Sydney”said the minister.
According to the newspaper Marca, the president of the CSD, Victor Francos, will meet with representatives of the players this Tuesday.
The Spanish team will focus on Oliva, Valencia, to prepare the Nations League campaign, which will qualify for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games, against Sweden, in Gothenburg, on Wednesday, and then host, on 26 September, Switzerland, in Córdoba.
Since winning the world title on August 20, the Spanish team has been experiencing turbulent moments, created by the kiss on the mouth that the then president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, gave to player Jenni Hermoso during the victory celebrations at the Sydney Stadium.
Jeni Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual, contrary to claims by Rubiales, who is now the subject of disciplinary proceedings by the Spanish Administrative Court of Sports and FIFA.
The player in turn filed a complaint in court alleging sexual assault by Rubiales, who initially refused to resign but eventually resigned from his position.
In the days after the World Cup final, more than 80 Spanish footballers issued a statement of solidarity with Jenni Hermoso and announced that they would refuse to play for the Spanish national team if there were no changes in the federation.
In addition to Rubiales’ departure, the federation fired the women’s team coach, Jorge Vilda, and replaced him with Montsé Tomé, the coach’s ‘number two’.
Source: DN
