End of the conflict in Spain: the players of the women’s national team will return to the team

The players of the Spanish soccer team reached an agreement with their country’s soccer federation, the RFEF and in this way they ended the protest under the condition of carrying out “immediate and profound changes“, among them, a renewal of the management leadership.

Around 5 in the morning they reached the agreement after seven hours of meetings in a hotel in Oliva, in which players, officials from the RFEF, the Higher Sports Council and the FUTPRO players’ union participated.

As part of the conditions they set to return to the team, they asked that between six and nine senior football federation officials asked to leave their positions or fired. Hours later, the RFEF itself announced the dismissal of general secretary Andreu Camps.

The players had said that they would not represent Spain until there were new changes in the federation, delving into a crisis that began after the former president of the RFEF Luis Rubiales kiss on the lips Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup presentation ceremony.

“A mixed commission will be created between the RFEFhe C.S.D. and the players for keep track of agreementswhich will be signed tomorrow,” the president of the CSD, Víctor Francos, told the press.

“The players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to carrying them out immediately,” he added.

Changes in the Spanish Football Federation

Once the meeting is over, The RFEF announced that the first measure was to eliminate the adjective “feminine” from the official brand of the women’s team to harmonize it with that of the men’s team. From now on, both will be known as “Spanish soccer team.”

“Beyond it being a symbolic step, we want it to be a change of concept, and the recognition that football is football, no matter who plays,” said the new president of the RFEF, Pedro Rocha, who replaced Luis Rubiales, who triggered the conflict with the team after the non-consensual kiss with Jenni Hermoso.

The rest of the changes have not yet been made public, although the federation issued another statement in which it committed to offer female players a “safe environment.”

The conflict with the players is not over yet: “It’s a process”

Although a large part of the Spanish National Team players decided to return to the team after the agreement with the federation, the case of Mapi León and Patri Guijarro, two references of the team, it is not the same. Before the World Cup they had expressed themselves against the ways of the then coach, Jorge Vilda, and were left out of the squad list for the most important tournament in the world that their team would end up winning.

“The situation for me and Patri is different. to that of the rest of my companions. In the end we are not in a position to say ‘now you come back’, no, this is a process“León declared to journalists after leaving the rally.

For its part, Hermoso, the undisputed leader of the team, was not on the squad list announced on Monday and accused the RFEF of trying to divide and manipulate the players.