SPAIN: Spain’s World Cup-winning team has terminated their boycott of the national team after the RFEF announced plans for significant changes to its structure. The decision was made after over seven hours of discussions between players, RFEF officials, the National Sports Council (CSD), and the women’s players’ union FUTPRO at a hotel in Oliva.
Players’ decision not to play for Spain until federation-wide changes are made has worsened the issue following the World Cup presentation ceremony situation. The accords, set to be signed tomorrow, will be monitored by a joint commission consisting of RFEF, CSD, and players, according to CSD President Victor Francos.
He added that players have expressed concerns about significant changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making them immediately.
Later on Wednesday, the RFEF declared that the first step towards unifying the women’s team’s official brand with the men’s group was to remove the word “female” from it. Both will now be referred to as the “Spanish national football team”
RFEF President Pedro Rocha stated that, beyond being a symbolic move, the federation wants it to be a paradigm shift and acknowledgement that football is football, regardless of who plays it. He went on to say that this will encourage a more equal view of the sport.
FUTPRO president Amanda Gutierrez stated that the players see it as a rapprochement of positions.
The players stated earlier this week that they would make the “best decision” for their career and health after learning the legal ramifications of being included in a squad list and had requested to be left off after the majority of the Women’s World Cup winners were chosen for upcoming games. Additionally, they claimed that the call-up was not made in accordance with FIFA’s rules.
If they declined, they could face penalties such as fines and suspension of their federation license. Twenty players who claimed to be boycotting the team were called up by new coach Montse Tome; however, two of them made the decision to leave the group on Tuesday after reporting for training.
The players’ revolt began after former RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Hermoso after Spain’s World Cup victory. Hermoso refuted his claim of a consenting kiss, which ultimately led to Rubiales’ resignation. The players believe the RFEF is attempting to divide and control them due to Hermoso’s absence from the squad list, which was made public on Monday.
Spain will debut in the Women’s Nations League against Sweden in Gothenburg before playing Switzerland on September 26. European teams will be selected for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris based on their Nations League performance. The RFEF announced that players will practice on Wednesday afternoon before heading to Gothenburg on Thursday morning.
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