Spain: The Spanish secretary of state for sports, Mr. Victor Francos, has stated that most of the players in the Spain women’s team have agreed to end their boycott.
They reached this decision after 7 hours of discussion. Two players of the 23-player squad for this month’s Nations League games have decided to withdraw.
Mr. Francos mentioned that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) promised swift and significant changes.
The players started the boycott when RFEF president Mr. Luis Rubiales kissed forward Ms. Jenni Hermoso after Spain’s victory over England in the Women’s World Cup final last month.
The non-consensual kiss, as stated by Ms. Hermoso, resulted in Mr. Rubiales resigning and Spain manager Mr. Jorge Vilda being fired.
Spain is scheduled to play against Sweden on September 22, 2023, and Switzerland on September 26, 2023, in the Nations League.
Mr. Francos, the head of the Spanish government’s national sports agency (CSD), stated that, “it is good news to be able to say that the team will play the next two games with guarantees.”
The head mentioned that a decision was made after “friendly” discussions in Valencia involving players, RFEF officials, CSD, and the women’s players’ union, Futpro.
“A joint commission will be created between RFEF, CSD, and players to follow up on the agreements, which will be signed tomorrow. The players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making these changes immediately,” Mr. Francos quoted.
The CSD head also assured that the players who chose not to play would not be penalised, emphasising that their decision was completely respectable. But, they could have been fined or banned from the national team for missing international duty, as per the statement.
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