Spain has announced its squad for the upcoming UEFA Nations League fixtures, including 15 players from the team that won the Women’s World Cup last month. However, there is still uncertainty surrounding the squad after a protest was launched against the Royal Spanish Football Federation.
The squad includes World Cup golden boot winner Aitana Bonmati and reigning Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas. Two high-profile players who did not participate in the World Cup, Mapi Leon and Pati Guijarro, are also included. However, Jennifer Hermoso has been left off the team. This decision was made as a protective measure after Hermoso was forcibly kissed by former federation president Luis Rubiales at the trophy ceremony following the World Cup final. Rubiales resigned from his post after facing widespread criticism.
Spain head coach Montse Tome stated that the exclusion of Hermoso was done to protect her. “We are all with Jenni and with all of the players. I believe this was the best way to protect her,” Tome said.
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This year has been turbulent for the federation and the World Cup winners. In September 2022, 15 players, including Bonmati, Leon, and Guijarro, sent individual emails refusing to play for the national team, citing a toxic and unprofessional culture. The federation defended its practices and forced players to apologize if they wanted to be part of the World Cup squad. Eight players eventually apologized and three participated in the competition in Australia and New Zealand.
Rubiales’ actions, particularly his refusal to resign during an emergency meeting called by the federation, reignited the protest. Eighty-one players, including the entire World Cup team, signed a letter in support of Hermoso and refused to play for the national team unless changes were made. The head coach, Jorge Vilda, was fired a few days before Rubiales resigned, but the departures did not end the protest.
“The changes made are not enough for the players to feel safe, where women are respected, where there is support for women’s football and where we can maximize our potential,” 39 players wrote in a letter published on social media. “The players of the Spanish team have, at all times, been open to dialogue, seeking to convey clear and well-argued reasons that we believe are necessary to be able to carry out our work at the highest level with the respect we deserve.”
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The players also shared a list of demands, including the resignation of new federation president Pedro Rocha, who was chosen by Rubiales. They also called for restructuring in various departments of the federation’s women’s soccer organization.
Once the squad was announced, the number of protesting players decreased to 38. Athenea del Castillo and Claudia Zornoza are the only members of the World Cup-winning team who did not sign the new letter. However, Zornoza recently retired from international soccer.
Tome, Vilda’s successor and former assistant, expressed her eagerness to usher in a new era for the national team. The roster she unveiled includes 20 players who signed the letter.
“I’m Montse Tomé, I’m not Jorge Vilda,” she said. “I’m a different person with a different personality, values, and way of transmitting my football,” Tome added.
The federation responded to the players’ demands on Monday, stating that they are working on improvements but not specifying the changes. “We guarantee a safe environment for the players and are committed to mutual trust so that we can work together and ensure that women’s football continues to progress stronger,” the federation said in a statement.
The protesting players who were called up reportedly were not informed beforehand, despite meeting with federation officials on Friday. The federation stated that some of the players’ requests will be fulfilled in a month’s time. However, the players expressed disappointment on social media, citing a lack of concrete commitments.
“As professional players, and after what has happened today, we will study the possible legal consequences that the RFEF exposed us to by including us in a squad that we had asked not to be called up for publicly explained reasons,” they wrote in a letter. “We regret once again that our federation places us in a situation that we would never like to be in.”
The players also accused the federation of violating FIFA regulations by not properly notifying them of their call-ups to the national team.
“It should be noted that the call-up was not made in a timely manner, in accordance with art. 3.2 of Annex I of the Regulations on the Status and Transfer of FIFA Players. We understand that the RFEF cannot require us to go,” the players stated.
The players are expected to report to training camp on Tuesday. It is unclear if the 20 players who signed the letter and were named to the roster will participate in Spain’s upcoming games against Sweden and Switzerland on September 22 and 26, respectively.
