A dispute between the Spanish women's football team and the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) appears to have reached a breakthrough after the two parties, along with the government's High Council of Sport (CSD), came to a series of agreements.
Earlier this week, 20 players named to the national team squad reiterated their refusal to play in two upcoming UEFA Women's Nations League fixtures, including against Sweden.
However, 21 of the 23 players selected in the squad for the upcoming games have now agreed to play and will travel to Sweden, according to a statement from CSD president Víctor Francos.
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Two players, Barcelona Femení stars Mapi León and Patricia Guijarro, have asked to leave the squad, saying that their situation is "different than for the rest of our colleagues".
Francos told reporters that a "very solid agreement" had been reached between all parties and promised immediate changes in Spanish football regarding "the policies on gender equality, advancing on equal pay, advancing on the equity of the quality of infrastructure for sport and, in this case, women's football".
He added that the players will not face any sanctions having initially refused to play in the two upcoming fixtures.
"The parties … reached a point where what could have been a disaster won't be and what could have been bad news looks like it won't be," said Francos.
A Mixed Commission featuring representatives for the players, RFEF and CSD will also be created to implement further changes in the future.
"In that committee, we've agreed on some powers that cover all of the points that [the players] have spent so much time demanding, like the changes in the women's football body, the strategic plan of women's football and the rest of the changes we've been talking about these days," Amanda Gutiérrez, president of players' union FUTPRO, told reporters.
Montse Tomé, who replaced Jorge Vilda as head coach of the women's national team in the wake of the Rubiales controversy, is set to remain in her position having met with the players privately, according to Rafael del Amo, the head of women's football at RFEF.
Asked about the apparent misleading statements from Tomé at her Monday press conference regarding Hermoso's absence from the squad to "protect" the player, del Amo told reporters: "I think at this moment we have to protect her from the pressure that can arise. In the end, she is a player we trust fully. We believe it to be this way and we must be respected".
Tomé had selected the squad for the upcoming games against Sweden and Switzerland, despite the players stating their "firm will to not be called up for motives which are justified".
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