Most of Spain's World Cup-winning players ended their boycott of the women's national team early Wednesday after the government intervened to help shape an agreement that was expected to lead to immediate structural changes at the country's soccer federation. (More Football News)
Only two players, who had not been immediately named, opted to leave t🐬he team's training camp after receiving guarantees from the government that they would not be sanctioned, with the rest staying after being told that some of their demands for reform would be met.
Pla꧃yers had reported to camp on Tuesday after being picked by new coach Montse Tomé against their will on Monday in the latest twist in the crisis that engulfed Spanish football after former federation president Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the awards ceremony following Spain's FIFA Women's World Cup title in Australia last month.
Specific details of the changes agreed upon were no๊t revealed following the hours-long meetings involving the government's top sports officials, players, Tomé and federation officials. The meetings ended at nearly 5 AM local time (03.00 GMT) on Wednesday.
Victor Francos, Spain's Secretary for Sports and president o🌺f the Higher Council for Sports said the “cordial meetings” led to the creation of a committee involving players, the federation and the government⛄.
He said the agreements should promote advances in gender policies and equal pay, as well as lead to structural changes in women's soccer. It was not clear, though, if any firings would take place in the federation.
Among the demands by the playe🙈rs was to have interim president Pedro R🐻ocha, who took over after Rubiales' resignation, also step down.
Francos said that the names of the two players who decided to leave would be later revealed by the federation.
“They asked to leave the camp because they were not motivated 𒅌and did not fe﷽el comfortable,” Francos said. “I hope that they will be respected just as the other players who decided to stay."
Officials said the players did not call for new coach Tomé to step down. Tomé was💯 an assistant to former coach Jorge Vilda at the World Cup, replacing him after he was fired.
On Monday, Tomé picked nearly half of the 39 players who said they would not play for the national team until their demands were met, including 15 World Cup-winning players. Hermoso was not among them as “a way to protect her,” Tomé said. The player, who said she did not consent to the kiss by Rubiales, had accused the federation of trying to intimiꦕdate her teammates by picking them for the national team against their will.
The squad announcement had been origina🐷lly planned for Friday but was postponed because no agreement had been reached with the players.
The players said they were caught by surprise by the squad announcement, but showed up to camp because otherwise, they risked break🦩ing a Spanish sports law that requires athletes to answer the call of national teams unless there are circumstances that impede them from playing, such as an injury.
Not responding to a call-up by a national team can expose a player to fines or even being banned from playing for their clubs. Those punishments would have to be requested𝓡 by the federation to the government's sport𒀰s council, which would decide whether to apply them.
The government said after the meetings that it would not seek any punishment for the players who decided to leave.
Last year, 15 playerꦉs rebelled against Vilda, asking for a more professional environment. Tomé included in her first list some of the players who rebelled.
Spain will play UEFA Women's Nations League games against Sweden on Friday and Switze💞rland on♌ September 26.
