The situation with the Spanish National Team and coach Jorge Vilda has reached a boiling point. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) released a statement on Thursday night that claimed that fifteen players sent in their resignations from the national team via email. Allegedly the players said that the current situation under Vilda impacted their emotional wellbeing and their health. In the statement, the RFEF expressed their support for the coaching staff. They also say that they will not allow the players to put any pressure on the federation and that players who refuse a call-up could face disqualification from the national team for two to five years. However, the RFEF will allow the players who submitted their resignations to return to the team if they apologize to the federation.
Alex Ibaceta reports that the fifteen players who sent in their resignations are Ainhoa Vicente, Patri Guijarro, Sandra Paños, Amaiur Sarriegi, Leila Ouahabi, Lucia García, Mapi León, Ona Batlle, Laia Aleixandri, Claudia Pina, Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey, Lola Gallardo, Nerea Eizaguirre, and Andrea Pereira.
Liga F followers may notice that none of Real Madrid’s national team players resigned. According to Relevo, Irene Paredes and Alexia Putellas agree with the message the players are sending to RFEF, even though they have not resigned. Paredes allegedly doesn’t want to be targeted as the leader of the revolt again and wishes to decide to come back to the team on her own terms. Putellas is recovering from an ACL tear and will not be available for selection any time soon.
The Spanish National Team’s statement
Spanish National Team players released a statement on Friday morning. In their statement, they claim they never resigned and are still committed to the national team. They state that they asked the federation not to call them up until the federation handles the situation. The players also maintain that they never asked for Vilda’s dismissal and know it is not their job to choose a coach. Instead, they were offering constructive feedback to improve the team’s performance. Finally, the team does not tolerate the “infantilizing” tone that RFEF used in their statement.
Will we ever see those fifteen players in a Spanish kit ever again? Let me know what you think in the comments below.
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