Spain’s women’s football in turmoil after player revolt
MORE THAN half of Spain’s women’s team no longer want to play under the current coach.
They have told the Spanish federation that being on the team has “significantly” affected their “emotional state” and health.
The federation interpreted the move as the players’ attempt to “pressure” its leadership into firing coach Jorge Vilda, whom the players have publicly questioned in recent weeks.
In a statement issued late Thursday, the federation said it “won’t permit its players to question the continuance of the national team coach” and that it wouldn’t “tolerate any type of pressure by any player”.
The players, however, insisted in their own public statement yesterday that they have not asked for Vilda to be removed, but instead want “a clear commitment to a professional project with attention paid to all the aspects needed to get the best performance of this group of players”.
“We understand that it is not our job in any case to choose a coach, but it is our job to express in a constructive and honest way what we consider can improve the performance of the group,” the players said in a statement on their social media accounts.
The rift between players and federation exploded on Thursday when 15 players sent identical emails to the federation asking not to be called up again because of the emotional pain it meant to play for the team. The email sent by the players was published by local media yesterday. The federation confirmed to The Associated Press that the email was genuine, and the names of the 15 players.
The email said “the general situation on the Spanish national team generated by recent events, events which (the federation) is aware of, is greatly affecting my emotional state and therefore my health.”
“Due to this, I presently do not consider myself to be a available for our national team and therefore ask to not be called up until this situation changes.”
The email adds the player’s“full commitment to the team in the past, present and future”.
The list of 15 players who sent emails included the team’s third captain, Patri Guijarro, goalkeeper Sandra Paños and attacking midfielder Aitana Bonmatí.
Ballon d’or winner Alexia Putellas did not send the email. But, she did join the players in revolt in posting the public statement that reiterated their position yesterday.
This month, Guijarro appeared at a news conference alongside the team’s first captain, Irene Paredes, and striker Jennifer Hermoso to explain their troubles with Vilda. Neither Paredes nor Hermoso are among the 15 who sent emails.
At that news conference, Paredes said the players were not happy with the results of the team that made it to the quarterfinals of the European Championship in July before losing to eventual champions England 2-1.
“It is a complicated moment,” Paredes said. “We are an ambitious team and we want to get better and win. We believe that various internal aspects (of the team) must improve.”
Vilda also spoke about the fracture among the team during the European Championship in England.
“The atmosphere on the team has always been good,” Vilda said. “In the first 15 days of the Europcup (camp) the atmosphere was positive. Then the games started and something changed. We were in a football paradise, and I hope that we can get back there in the future. We have a team of good players, and we are just one step away from being a great team.”