.jpg?itok=WeL9cxiS&ssl=1 "Why are 15 players leaving the Spain Women’s National Team and who are they? The details and the Royal Federation’s response")
The Spain Women’s National Team Live in turbulent times. After coming a long way from winning the European Championship in England, a competition from which they suffered a painful exit in the quarter-finals, now the team and the coaching staff are going through a state of complete collapse and this has led to resignation of 15 players to be part of the team.
So they have declared via email sent to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
Why did 15 players quit the Spanish Women’s National Team?
The players told RFEF president Luis Rubiales They are not in the “best emotional state” after their demand to sack former manager Jorge Wilda has not been met.
The team’s technical director is under contract until at least 2024 and all indications are that he will be in charge of the team at the next World Cup, which will be played next year in Australia and New Zealand.
Who are the players who resigned from the Spanish National Team?
- Ainhoa Vicente Moraza
- Patri Pebble
- Leila Ouahabi
- Lucia Garcia
- Mapi Leon
- Ona Batlle
- dear alexandri
- Claudia Pina
- Aitana Bonmati
- Andrea Pereira
- Marion Caldeday
- Sandra Cloths
- Lola Gallardo
- Nerea Eizaguirre
- Amaiur Sarriegi
Among the resigning footballers is not even the star Alexia Putellas, winner of the last Women’s Ballon d’Ornor Real Madrid players.
How did the Royal Spanish Football Federation respond to the mass resignation of players from the Women’s National Team?
Spanish football’s governing body issued a statement detailing the situation. The text states that they have been received “15 emails from 15 women’s national soccer players, coincidentally all with the same wording, stating that their current situation is “significantly” affecting their “emotional state” and their “health” and that, as long as it is not reversed “, they resign from the Spanish national team”.
And the response to the resignation was definitive, although it was made clear that, although there would be the possibility, the players would not be retaliated against.
“The RFEF will not allow players to challenge the coach’s continuity national team and its coaching staff, ever since making these decisions is not within their competence. The Federation will not accept any kind of pressure from any player when taking sporting measures. These types of maneuvers are far from exemplary and outside the values of football and sport and are harmful.
Under current Spanish law, failure to participate in a national team call-up is considered a very serious offense and may lead to penalties of between two and five years of disqualification. The RFEF, contrary to the way these players act, wants to make it clear it will not drive them to that extreme or put pressure on them. Directly, he will not call the footballers who do not want to wear the Spain shirt. The Federation will only have committed footballers even if they have to play with youngsters.
This event has turned from a sporting issue into a matter of dignity. The choice is non-negotiable. This is an unprecedented situation in history. football, men’s and women’s, in Spain and worldwide”.
The official statement of the football players, which included Alexia Putellas
“The players regret, first of all, that the RFEF has made public, in a partial and interesting way, a private communication, with information affecting our health – which is part of our privacy -, which was sent in response to its request by the Federation itself to to find out which of us wished not to be invited, a communication to which, by the way, we have received no official reply.
Secondly, in no way have we RESIGNED from the Spanish Football Team as the RFEF points out in their official statement. As we said in our private communication, we have maintained, continue and will continue to maintain an unquestionable commitment to the Spanish National Team.
That is why we ask in our notice sent to the RFEF not to be called up to situations that affect our emotional and personal state, our performance and, consequently, the results of the Selection and that could result in unwanted injuries. These would be the reasons that lead us to this decision.
We want a firm commitment to a professional project in which all aspects are taken into account to get the best performance from a group of players with whom we believe more and better goals can be achieved. We wish the best for the RFEF, for the Women’s National and for us in particular, without getting into public wars.
We have never asked for the dismissal of the coach as commented. We understand that our job is in no way to choose the position in question, but to express in a constructive and honest way what we believe can improve the team’s performance.
Can anyone think that, eight months before a World Cup, a group of TOP LEVEL PLAYERS, which is what we consider ourselves, view this decision, as it has been publicly implied, as whim or blackmail?
By asking not to be invited, we are penalizing our professional careers, our economy and of course continuing to build something important in women’s football. Because it took years of effort from many people to get to where we are right now. And there are still many things that need to be improved, as recently proved.
From our ambition as players, fighters and winners, we just want to be able to achieve maximum professional and personal success again. Last but not least, we will not tolerate the infantile tone with which the RFEF concludes its statement.
We regret that in the context of women’s sport we have to go to this extreme, as has unfortunately happened to other national teams and other sports historically at world level, in order to move forward with a strong and ambitious professional project for the present and for future generations.”
— Alexia Putellas (@alexiaputellas) September 23, 2022
The word of Ana Álvarez, director of women’s football of the RFEF
Ana Álvarez, director of women’s football at the Royal Spanish Football Federation, spoke to Radio Marca’s “La Tribu” after the case was discovered.
“I’m disappointed with the situation, it saddens me, that I’m in such a beautiful moment, I’m enjoying this summer in two months, a month and a half, successes in our lower categories, with steps towards professionalization. After all, not everything is so easy, from h or b’.
“We were clear, we said what has happened, what is our opinion. They also had a chance to talk. We have said what happened, they spoke to Luis Rubiales on behalf of the leaders, they gave their opinion that changes were needed due to a lack of confidence in the work of Jorge Vilda The answer of the president was clear from the beginning, strengthening the work of Vilda and RFEF and from there and beyond that we continued to maintain it (…).Our idea is the same and we said loud and clear”
“Complaints are not complaints, we receive some texts that they are in an emotional state determined by certain circumstances and that they cannot come to the National team in this state.”
“At the Federation we believe that everyone should be in their role, this is the system in sport and in life.”
“That of the players is not behavior within the public and within the system, it is outside of all that.” “There is not much to discuss now, we have received their writings, we have always had a close relationship, they were listened to. But I have not spoken to any of them. They had told us that the problem is a sporting matter. , of the project, confidence in the coach. Of course, nothing happened and we are absolutely sure of that. I find it bad taste and offensive that they are talking about something else… If they are talking about health problems, let them explain this.”
“Jorge Vilda is disappointed, sad. Of course nobody expected this, it is very serious, it goes beyond sport and we have entered a point where dignity, the shield, the national team, which is above everything and everyone, enters. It is another a chapter, of very serious importance, but they have decided to do it this way and we will have the players who are committed and want to come.”
“Jorge Vilda has not informed us that he intends to leave.”
“This does not help the development of women’s football at all, we are in a wonderful moment where everything seems to be rowing in our favor, with more resources, with obvious talent. It was a unique opportunity to show off, to be exemplary, and situations like these do not help not at all.”
