(Madrid) The majority of Spanish internationals, on strike since the Rubiales affair, agreed on Wednesday to rejoin the selection to face Sweden in the Nations League, while the Spanish Federation (RFEF) announced the departure of its secretary general.
After hours of negotiations that extended into the night, the president of the Superior Sports Council (CSD), Victor Francos, announced that a series of agreements had been reached with the players, adding that only two of the 23 summoned had asked to leave.
The two players concerned, Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, themselves immediately confirmed that they were leaving the national team training camp, despite the agreement reached with the government and the Federation to end the strike.
Victor Francos, also Secretary of State for Sports, clarified that there would be no sanctions against them, after having warned the world champions on strike on Tuesday that they risked being sanctioned if they refused their summons .
“The players have expressed their concern to us about the need to make profound changes within the RFEF and the Federation is committed to ensuring that these changes take place immediately,” he explained.
Questioned in New York, where he is participating in the UN General Assembly, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez estimated that the RFEF had to “carry out a series of changes”, “requested by the players” and “supported by the immense majority of the population.”
Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, both Barça players, have been protesting for months against the dysfunctions of Spanish women’s football, well before the World Cup, in which they did not participate.
They were among the 15 internationals who took part a year ago in a first strike targeting the then coach, Jorge Vilda. Unlike some of their teammates, they did not change positions before the World Cup.
“It’s true that the situation for me and Patri is different from the rest of our teammates, we knew it was not the right way to come back,” Mapi Leon told the media as she left a hotel from Oliva, near Valencia.
But “we are satisfied because things are changing and we fully support our teammates in this process” added the FC Barcelona defender, replaced on Wednesday by Valencia player Claudia Florentino.
“It’s very difficult and very hard, personally, to be here, that’s obvious. Mentally, we are not in a condition to be here,” explained Patri Guijarro, whose replacement name has not yet been communicated.
The double Ballon d’Or Alexia Putellas, who is one of the strikers who agreed to honor their call-up following the agreement with the Federation, assured for her part that the fact of having remained in the team does not mean ” that she is comfortable.”
The new coach of Spain, Montse Tomé, created a surprise on Monday by summoning Guijarro and Leon for the first time in months, as well as around fifteen world champions who had asked not to be selected until a total overhaul of Spanish football authorities did not take place.
The resignation of the former president of the Federation Luis Rubiales after his forced kiss imposed on No.10 Jenni Hermoso during the medal ceremony of the world champions in Sydney, and the dismissal of coach Jorge Vilda, whose methods they contested , are according to them insufficient.
Asked about the Rubiales affair during a trip to New York, Socialist Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez also considered that the RFEF had to “carry out a series of changes”, “requested by the players” and “supported by the immense majority of the population.”
On Wednesday evening, the RFEF gave assurances to the players by announcing in a press release that it was terminating the functions of its general secretary Andreu Camps, considered close to Rubiales.
Spain is due to face Sweden on Friday and Switzerland on September 26 in the Nations League, a qualifying tournament for the 2024 Paris Olympics, and plans to fly to Gothenburg on Thursday.
