Spanish players Mapi Leon and Patricia Guijarro announced on Wednesday September 20 that they were leaving the training camp of the women’s national team, despite the agreement reached with the government and the federation to end the strike part of the group.
Ms. Leon and Ms. Guijarro were not part of the strike movement that followed the Rubiales affair. They had been protesting for months against the dysfunctions of Spanish women’s football, and did not participate in the World Cup. These are the only two players called by the new coach, Montse Tomé, to leave the group so far.
“It’s true that the situation for me and “Patri” is different from that of our teammates, we know that it was not the right way to come back, because ultimately we are not in a position to say “ now you come back”, no, it’s a process,” Mapi Leon told the media as she left the hotel in Oliva, near Valencia. “It’s very difficult and very hard, (…) we are not in the condition to be here,” Patri Guijarro added to the press.
“We have to discuss at length whether we are coming to a safe place or not when we were forced to come,” she told reporters at Valencia airport on Tuesday before heading to the Oliva camp. .
Series of agreements with players
These departures took place after hours of meetings between the players, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the president of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), Victor Francos, to try to end the crisis. In the early morning, the latter announced that a series of agreements had been concluded with the players, adding that only two of the twenty-three summoned for the Nations League matches had asked to leave, without naming them.
Mr. Francos clarified that there would be no sanctions against them, after warning the striking world champions on Tuesday that they risked being sanctioned if they refused their summons. “The players have told us of their concern about the need to make profound changes within the RFEF and the federation is committed to ensuring that these changes take place immediately,” added Mr. Francos, also secretary of State for sports.
Promises of “immediate change”
Ms. Tomé created a surprise on Monday by summoning Guijarro and Leon for the matches against Sweden on Friday and Switzerland next week, as well as around fifteen world champions who had nevertheless asked not to be selected before changes. deep within the federation.
Following the scandal of the forced kiss of the president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, to the footballer Jennifer Hermoso after the world coronation of the Spanish team in Australia, these footballers considered that the resignation of Mr. Rubiales and the dismissal of the coach Jorge Vilda were insufficient.
They ended up agreeing on Wednesday to rejoin the selection, following an agreement with the federation and the government, which promised “immediate changes”. Spain is due to face Sweden on Friday and Switzerland on September 26 in the Nations League, a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics.
