Spain players end boycott after seven hours of meetings with RFEF who commit to change after Women's World Cup
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Published 20/09/2023 at 08:38 GMT
The Spain team, including several World Cup winners, have ended their collective boycott after seven hours of meetings with RFEF officials, the National Sports Council, and the women's players' union, FUTPRO. Players had initially boycotted the team after asking for significant change amidst the scandal, which saw former RFEF President Luis Rubiales kiss player Jenni Hermoso after the World Cup.
Azpilicueta discusses Spain men's team's response to Rubiales controversy
Spain players have agreed to end their national team boycott after over seven hours of deliberation with the Spanish football federation, RFEF.
"The players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making these changes immediately," CSD President Victor Francos told reporters.
The decision to end the boycott was reached at around 5am on Wednesday after the meeting, involving the players, RFEF officials, the National Sports Council and the women's players' union FUTPRO.
The players had previously said that they would not represent the national team until there were major changes made at the federation, escalating the saga that began when former RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup presentation ceremony after Spain beat England 1-0 in the final.
Hermoso maintained the kiss was not consensual, while Rubiales was insistent that it was. The RFEF stood by their former president initially, but eventually asked him to resign.
The team reiterated their stance to boycott the national team after new head coach Montse Tome seemingly ignored their previous statement and named several of the World Cup-winning players in her first squad for the upcoming Nations League matches since replacing Jorge Vilda as the manager, who was dismissed earlier this month.
Hermoso, who was not called up, called it a "strategy of division and manipulation".
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'The best way to protect her' - New Spain Women's coach Tome explains Hermoso exclusion
Most of the team reported for international duty amid the threat of legal action and economic sanctions – under Spain’s sports act, players who ignore international call-ups may face fines of up €30,000 (£26,000) and be banned from playing for their club teams.
"A joint commission will be created between RFEF, CSD and players to follow up on the agreements, which will be signed tomorrow," said Francos.
"Of the 23 called up, two players have requested the possibility of leaving the concentration for reasons of lack of spirit and personal discomfort.
"The first thing they have been told here has been: whoever is not at ease, does not feel strong enough, should know that neither the federation nor the CSD was going to apply a sanctioning process."
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