MADRID, 23 Sep. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The players of the Spanish women’s soccer team who this Thursday expressed their desire not to be called up in the current situation have stressed that they have not “resigned” from the national team and that they have “never” asked for the dismissal of Jorge Vilda, alluding to that what is happening is affecting his “emotional and personal” health and criticizing that his position “eight months before the World Cup” is being understood as “a whim or blackmail”.
In an extensive statement shared by the 15 players who had expressed their desire not to be called up and also by Alexia Putellas, they regret that the RFEF “”has made public, in a partial and interested way, a private communication” and “with information that affects ” to his health and “sent in response to the request of the Federation itself to know” which of them wanted “not to be summoned”.
“Communication to which, by the way, we have not received a formal response. Secondly, in no case have we renounced the Spanish team as the RFEF indicates in its official statement. As we said in our private communication, we have maintained, we maintain and we will maintain an unquestionable commitment to the selection”, they add.
For this reason they have requested “not to be summoned until situations that affect” their “emotional and personal state” and their “performance” are reversed. “And, consequently, to the results of the selection and that could lead to undesirable injuries. These would be the reasons that lead us to make this decision,” they stress.
“We want a firm commitment to a professional project in which all aspects are taken care of to get the best performance from a group of players with whom we believe that more and better goals can be achieved. We wish the best for the RFEF, for the national team feminine and for us in particular, without entering into public wars”, continue the players.
In addition, they insist, as the captains already did in a press conference before the duel against Hungary in early September, that they “never” have 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 group’s performance,” they point out.
“Can anyone think that, eight months before a World Cup, a group of top-level players, which is what we consider ourselves, consider this decision, as has been publicly implied, as a whim or blackmail?” , criticize the players.
“WE PENALIZED OUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER”
They also remember that with this request they penalize their “professional career, economy and of course continue to build something important in women’s football.” “Because getting to where we are right now has taken years of effort from many people. And there are still many things to improve, as has been shown recently,” they remark.
“From our ambition as players, fighters and winners, we only want to be able to achieve the maximum professional and personal successes again. Last but not least, we will not tolerate the infantilizing tone with which the RFEF concludes its statement”, say the footballers.
Finally, they regret that they have had to “reach this extreme, as has unfortunately happened in other national teams and other sports historically worldwide, in order to advance in a powerful and ambitious professional project for the present and for future generations.”
This statement has been shared on their social networks by Ainhoa Vicente Moraza, Patri Guijarro, Leila Ouahabi, Lucía García, Mapi León, Ona Batlle, Laia Aleixandri, Claudia Pina, Aitana Bonmatí, Andrea Pereira, Mariona Caldentey, Sandra Paños, Lola Gallardo, Nerea Eizaguirre and Amaiur Sarriegi, who according to various media were the 15 who had sent this request. So did Alexia Putellas, currently seriously injured