Spanish players have finally decided to bring a halt to their boycott and this was confirmed by Secretary of State for Sports Victor Francos.
Recall we reported that some Spain players boycotted the team following the refusal of Luis Rubiales to resign after kissing Jeni Hermoso.
This saw some of the players who won the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup depart the team after he refused to resign.
However, the latest reports have it that some of these players have changed their minds following the resignation of the chief.
The Secretary also noted that the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) had committed to “immediate and profound changes”.
Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who were named in the squad for this month’s Nations League games, have turned down the invite.
The players reportedly started the boycott after former RFEF president Luis Rubiales kissed forward Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup presentation ceremony.
The Spanish players are set to face Sweden on Friday and also take their World Cup-winning morale to face Switzerland on Tuesday.
Francos, the head of the Spanish government’s national sports agency (CSD), stated: “It is good news to be able to say that the team will play the next two games with guarantees.”
He also revealed that a decision was reached following “friendly” talks in Valencia involving the players, RFEF officials, CSD, and women’s players’ union Futpro.
Francos added: “A joint commission will be created between RFEF, CSD and players to follow up on the agreements, which will be signed tomorrow.”
“The Spain players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making these changes immediately.”
Leon and Guijarro were among 15 Spanish players to boycott the national team before the World Cup in protest at the methods of then coach Vilda.
The players were not involved in the summer tournament in Australia and New Zealand and will therefore not get any fine or ban.
Speaking about the incident, Leon said: “It’s a reality that the situation for me and for Patri is different to the rest of our team-mates.”
“We already knew this was not the right way to return, and we are not in the right state.”
“We are content because the truth is that changes are being made, and in this we are giving full support to our team-mates.”
Guijarro also added: “They are working on the changes and of course we are with our team-mates, but it’s true that it’s a different situation.”
“It’s quite difficult and quite hard. Mentally we are not right to be here.”
Why Did Spanish Players Boycott The Team?
Spain’s tournament build-up was marred with unrest as players revolted, but despite winning the tournament for the first time, they faced negative attention because of the actions of the man at the top of their federation.
Following Luis Rubiales grabbing his crotch in celebration while standing near Spain’s Queen Letizia and her 16-year-old daughter, he still displayed unacceptable behavior at the podium.
As he was greeting the Spanish team for their maiden World Cup win, he grabbed Jenni Hermoso by the head before forcibly planting a kiss on her lips, with millions of eyes watching.
As Hermoso walked past, he continued his kissing frenzy with her other teammates on the cheek and hugged every one of them.
He later informed them that they must visit Ibiza, as that would be where he would marry Hermoso as they celebrated their World Cup triumph.
Hermoso addressed the issue while speaking during a live Instagram session and said: “I did not enjoy it.”
Who Is Luis Rubiales?
Luis Manuel Rubiales Béjar is a Spanish football official and former professional player who was born on 23rd August, 1977 and played as a defender, appearing in 53 La Liga matches over three seasons.
Rubiales wss the former president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and one of UEFA’s vice presidents.
FIFA suspended him from his post in the wake of footballer Jennifer Hermoso stating that she did not consent to a public kiss from Rubiales during the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final award ceremony.
