Spain Women head coach coach Jorge Vilda is under mounting pressure after 15 players threatened to go on strike, according to an RFEF statement; players are unhappy with the management of injuries, the atmosphere in the locker room, Vilda's team selection and his training sessions
Saturday 24 September 2022 09:37, UK
Spain Women's players have denied asking the Spanish FA (RFEF) to sack their coach Jorge Vilda.
The RFEF issued a statement on Thursday saying that 15 players had threatened to stop representing the national team if Vilda was not fired, but stood by the head coach and said the players will only return to the team if they "recognise their mistake and ask for forgiveness".
"We, the players, lament, in the first place, that the RFEF has made public, in a partial and interested way, a private communication, with information that affects our health - which is part of our privacy - sent in response to the request of the own Federation to know which of us wanted not to be summoned," they said in a joint statement on social media.
"Communication to which, by the way, we have not received a formal response," they added.
"We have never asked for the dismissal of the coach as has been commented. We understand that our job is not in any case to choose said position, but to express in a constructive and honest way what we believe can improve the performance of the group."
According to sources close to the situation, the players are unhappy with the management of injuries, the atmosphere in the locker room, Vilda's team selection and his training sessions.
"The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers," it said, adding that refusing to honour an international call-up was a "very serious infraction" which can be punished by a suspension of between two and five years.
The emails, which were identical according to the RFEF, said that playing under Vilda was affecting their mental health.
But a strongly-worded statement said the players concerned had committed "a very serious infraction" by refusing to play that could lead to a suspension of up to five years from the national team.
Vilda is due to announce next Friday his 23-player squad for friendlies against Sweden and the United States next month.
Spanish publication MARCA run the headline 'the blackmail is unacceptable', referring to the response of the RFEF to the email signed off by the 15 players to president Luis Rubiales.
The report claims that Barcelona star and neither reigning Ballon d'Or holder Alexia Putellas nor any of the Real Madrid players are among those to have threatened to boycott the national team.
MARCA list the 15 players as follows: Ainhoa Vicente (Atletico Madrid) Lola Gallardo (Atletico Madrid) Sandra Paños (Barcelona) Mapi León (Barcelona) Claudia Pina (Barcelona) Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona) Mariona Caldentey (Barcelona) Patri Guijarro (Barcelona), Andrea Pereira (Club America) Leila Ouahabi (Man City) Laia Alexandri (Man City) Lucia García (Man Utd) Ona Batlle (Man Utd) Amaiur Sarriegui (Sociedad) Nerea Eizagirre (Sociedad).
Meanwhile, daily newspaper AS simply lead with the headline, 'Rebellion!' The report confirms that Putellas is not among those on strike, alongside Jenni Hermoso and Irene Paredes.
Spanish football expert Fernando Kallas told Sky Sports:
"It's not a shock as it's something which has been boiling away for the last two or three months. The players were on the verge of mutiny in late August. The impression that we have is that their feelings haven't cooled down.
"The players claim that the coach has created a toxic culture that is affecting their performance and mental health. I think this story is unprecedented in the history of football. I don't remember a national team at such a high level where almost every player is just stepping down from the team.
"Not only that, but then the Federation has taken the side of the coach and is threatening the players with the Spanish sports law which states they're obligated to go with the national team - if not, you're going to be suspended from professional sports.
"It's just crazy. It's not a shock, but people here don't understand. The players aren't talking about it. They're leaking information but they're not talking publicly. We still don't know for certain what's going on."
Chelsea manager Emma Hayes told Sky Sports: "I hope that there's some common ground and some good listening in both directions because ultimately that team is amazing and deserves to be performing at the highest level. I hope they sort through those differences.
"I hope there's sensible conversations, you have to have dialogue to resolve differences and that's something that between them they have to try and create."