{"id":332414,"date":"2023-09-19T21:37:58","date_gmt":"2023-09-19T21:37:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=332414"},"modified":"2023-09-20T02:02:38","modified_gmt":"2023-09-20T02:02:38","slug":"dumped-star-accuses-spain-of-threatening-players","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/?p=332414","title":{"rendered":"Dumped star accuses Spain of 'threatening' players"},"content":{"rendered":"

In the latest twist to the Spanish football<\/a> crisis, the country's World Cup<\/a>-winning players started reporting to training camp this week despite not wanting to be called up for the national team while fighting for changes in the football federation<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Local media showed some of the players arriving at a hotel in Madrid where they briefly gathered with staff before heading to Valencia \u2014 a day after new coach Montse Tom\u00e9 ignored their decision not to play until their demands for reform at the federation were met.<\/p>\n

The players had said in a statement that they were caught by surprise by the call-up and did not plan to end their boycott, but those who don't show up risk breaking 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.<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Luai beats 'million to one' odds to face Storm<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> 'Hated it': Junkyard Dog nickname veiled inner turmoil<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

READ MORE:<\/strong> Ex-NRL star faces monster ban after 'gee up' charge<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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, according to Spain\u2019s sports law. Those punishments would have to be requested by the federation to the government\u2019s sports council, which would decide whether to apply them.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were obligated to come,\u201d defender Mapi Leon said after arriving in Valencia. \u201cIf they are going to sanction us, then we have to come.\u201d<\/p>\n

One player, goalkeeper Misa Rodr\u00edguez, when asked if she was happy to be with the team in Madrid replied with a \u201cNo".<\/p>\n

Instead of regaining control of the squad by calling up the players, the move by the federation has prompted the government to step in to mediate directly with the players.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Spain\u2019s Secretary for Sports and president of the Higher Council for Sports, V\u00edctor Francos, said he would meet with players in Valencia. He also slammed the federation's handling of the situation.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe government had let the federation be the ones to talk to the players, giving it room to maneuver,\u201d Francos told Spanish television channel La Sexta. \u201c(But) yesterday we looked ridiculous as a nation. It is unacceptable and this morning I spoke to some of the players. The impression I came away with was the most negative one possible. I did not hear resentment or anger, I heard sadness and exhaustion, and that is why I decided to back them.\u201d<\/p>\n

It was the latest embarrassing chapter in Spanish football in a crisis ignited by former federation president Luis Rubiales kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips<\/a> after Spain won the Women\u2019s World Cup last month.<\/p>\n

Hermoso, who said she did not consent to the kiss during the awards ceremony, accused the federation of trying to intimidate the players by picking them for the national team even though they asked not to be called up.<\/p>\n

She said in a statement that the federation's decision to call up nearly half of the 39 players who said they would not play for the national team as a protest was \u201cirrefutable proof\u201d that \u201cnothing has changed".<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

The players had made it clear that they wouldn't come back until their demands for significant change and new leadership in the federation were met, but Tom\u00e9 on Tuesday picked 15 of the players who helped Spain win its first Women's World Cup last month.<\/p>\n

Tom\u00e9 left Hermoso off the list \u201cas a way to protect her", she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cProtect me from what?\u201d Hermoso said. \u201cA claim was made stating that the environment within the federation would be safe for my colleagues to rejoin, yet at the same press conference it was announced that they were not calling me as a means to protect me.\u201d<\/p>\n

The squad announcement had been originally planned for Friday but was postponed because no agreement had been reached with the players.<\/p>\n

On Monday, the federation released a statement in which it publicly reiterated to the players its commitment to structural changes.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe people who now ask us to trust them are the same ones who disclosed the list of players who have asked NOT to be called up," Hermoso said. \u201cThe players are certain that this is yet another strategy of division and manipulation to intimidate and threaten us with legal repercussions and economic sanctions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Queen<\/p>\n

The players said they would study the possible legal consequences of not reporting to the training camp, but said they believed the federation could not force them to join the team. They argued that the call-up was not made in accordance with current FIFA regulations, and some of the players, especially those abroad, would not be able to show up in time.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want to once again show my full support to my colleagues who have been caught by surprise and forced to react to another unfortunate situation caused by the people who continue to make decisions within (the federation),\u201d Hermoso said. \u201cThis is why we are fighting and why we are doing it in this way.\u201d<\/p>\n

Among the players\u2019 demands was for interim president Pedro Rocha also to resign, and for the women\u2019s team staff to be overhauled, and for personnel changes to its media relations department, marketing department and other areas.<\/p>\n

Last year, 15 players rebelled against former coach Jorge Vilda asking for a more professional environment. Tom\u00e9, an assistant to Vilda at the World Cup, included in her first list some of the players who rebelled.<\/p>\n

Spain will play Nations League games against Sweden on Saturday and Switzerland on September 26.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

In the latest twist to the Spanish football crisis, the country's World Cup-winning players started reporting to training camp this week despite not wanting to […]<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":332416,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332414"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=332414"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332414\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":332420,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/332414\/revisions\/332420"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/332416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=332414"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=332414"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sportinfo.pro\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=332414"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}