“Not their responsibility”
It bangs hard in Spain’s national team
9/24/2022 7:52 am
The Spanish Football Association announced the resignation of 15 players from the national team, including world footballer Putellas. But the players see things very differently and feel betrayed by their own association.
Spanish footballers have denied statements by the RFEF football association that they had withdrawn from the national team in protest against coach Jorge Vilda. “In no way have we announced our retirement from the Spanish national team, as the RFEF claims in its official statement. As we have reiterated in our private communications (to the federation), we are fully committed to the Spanish national team,” quoted the news agency Europa Press on Friday evening from a message from the players, including world footballer Alexia Putellas from FC Barcelona.
They wouldn’t have called for the coach’s resignation either. It was regrettable that the association had made “private communications public in an intentionally shortened form”, the players had criticized.
The association reacted sharply
The football association had previously announced that the 15 players had declared their resignation from the national team in protest against Vilda – “if nothing changes”. Corresponding word-for-word e-mails were received by the association. The players have complained that unspecified “incidents” have affected their “emotional state” and their health “in an important way”. According to unconfirmed media reports, players are said to have complained about excessive control by Vilda, sometimes even in their private lives.
The RFEF reacted extremely sharply: “The association will not allow the players to question the future of the national coach and his coaching staff. That is not their responsibility.” The players would have to admit their mistake and apologize if they wanted to be called up again. The 41-year-old Vilda has been the head coach of the Spanish women since 2015. His selection had to do without the injured Putellas at the European Championships in July in England. In the preliminary round, the title contenders lost 2-0 to the German team and in the quarter-finals to the eventual European champions from England.