The majority of Spain’s World Cup winning squad say they will not return to the national setup for the time being as they believe that insufficient progress has been made by their football federation (RFEF) to create a safe environment for players.
The Spanish game was thrust into crisis amid one of its greatest triumphs last month when RFEF president Luis Rubiales forcibly kissed Jenni Hermoso amid the celebrations that followed La Roja beating England in the Women’s World Cup Final. In response, 81 Spanish footballers said they would boycott the national team. Rubiales has since resigned and Jorge Vilda, the head coach who proved to be a hugely divisive figure, has also been replaced.
The naming of the first squad of his successor, Montse Tome, has now been delayed to an unspecified date after 39 players cosigned a statement saying that their self-imposed exile would continue. That group includes the overwhelming majority of those who lifted the World Cup but not Claudia Zornoza Sanchez or Athenea del Castillo.
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