15 players of the Spanish women’s team have threatened to resign if their coach Jorge Vilda is not fired.
Players are reportedly unhappy with the coach’s selection, training methods, the atmosphere in the locker room and the handling of injuries.
The Spanish Football Federation has revealed that it fully supports the coach and that they will be with him. The Federation has kept the names of those 15 players secret and believes that if they admit their mistake and ask for forgiveness, they can return to the team.
Spanish media have reported that Alexia Putellas, the Barcelona superstar and reigning Ballon d’Or winner, is not among those 15 players who have threatened to resign.
The RFEF has published a statement supporting the coach in this scandal.
“The Royal Spanish Football Federation communicates that, throughout today, it has received 15 emails from 15 players of the women’s senior soccer team, all of them coincidentally with the same wording, in which they state that the situation current generated affects ‘significantly’ their ‘state of mind’ and their ‘health’ and that, ‘as long as it is not reversed’, they resign from the Spanish team, ”reads the statement.
“The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers. The Federation will not admit any type of pressure from any player when adopting sports measures. These types of maneuvers are far from being exemplary and outside the values of football and sport and are harmful.
“In accordance with current Spanish legislation, non-attendance at the call for a selection is classified as a very serious offense and can carry sanctions of between two and five years of disqualification. The RFEF, contrary to the way these players act, wants to make it clear that it will not take them to this extreme or put pressure on them. Directly, he will not summon footballers who do not want to wear the Spain shirt. The Federation will only have committed footballers even if they have to play with youth.
“This fact has gone from being a sporting issue to a dignity issue. The selection is not negotiable. It is an unprecedented situation in the history of football, both male and female, in Spain and worldwide.
“The present and future of Spain lies in the potential of the lower categories and of the players who this summer have been proclaimed world champions under-20 and champions of Europe under-19, in addition to obtaining the sub-championship of Europe under-17 youth .
“The national team needs players committed to the project, defending our colors and proud to wear the Spain shirt.
“The players who have submitted their resignation will only return to the discipline of the national team in the future if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness.”
