Almost all of the Spanish world champions continued their standoff with their federation on Friday, ongoing since the forced kiss scandal, conditioning their return to the selection on an in-depth overhaul of national football authorities.
Insufficient changes according to the world champions
“The changes that have taken place are not enough for players to feel in a safe place, where women are respected, where we bet on women’s football and where we can give the best of ourselves,” wrote 21 of the 23 world champions in a press release distributed in particular by the Ballon d’Or, Alexia Putellas, on social networks. “What makes us most proud is to wear the jersey of our selection” but “we think this is the time to fight to show that these practices have no place in our football and in our society” and “ that the current structure needs change”, they added in this text signed in total by 39 players.
“We are doing this so that future generations can experience a much more egalitarian football that lives up to what we deserve,” they say again. In detail, the players of “Roja” demand in particular the “restructuring of the organization chart of women’s football” and “the cabinet of the presidency and the general secretariat” and “the resignation of the interim president” of the federation (RFEF) .
A case that swept the Spanish federation
“The changes requested from the RFEF are based on zero tolerance towards people who, within the RFEF, have had, incited, hidden or applauded attitudes that go against the dignity of women,” they insist. Eclipsing the world coronation of the women’s “Roja” in Sydney on August 20, the forced kiss of the president of the federation Luis Rubiales to N.10 Jennifer Hermoso, during the medal ceremony, plunged Spanish football into chaos and sparked a wave of international outrage.
The announcement of the world champions comes as the federation had summoned the press at 4 p.m. for the presentation by the new coach Montse Tomé of her list of players for the two matches at the end of September in the Nations League. Spanish football authorities had, however, displayed their optimism in recent days regarding a return of the world champions, highlighting the resignation on Sunday of Luis Rubiales and the dismissal last week of the coach of the women’s team , Jorge Vilda, close to Rubiales and whose methods were contested.