Women’s World Cup winners maintain boycott of Spain’s national team

BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — The new coach of Spain’s women’s team had to delay the announcement of her first squad Friday after nearly all of the country’s World Cup-winning players maintained their boycott of the national team as part of their fight against sexism in soccer.

Spain coach Montse Tomé was set to announce her squad on Friday. But 20 minutes before she was supposed to hold a news conference, the federation said it was postponed to a time to be determined.

The federation said the players had rejected their attempts to convince them to return to the team early on Friday.

That leaves Tomé with the difficult decision of whether to still call up the players revolting, or select a completely different team for upcoming Nations League games against Sweden and Switzerland on Sept. 22 and 26. According to Spanish sports law, athletes are required to answer the call of its national teams unless there are circumstances that impede them from playing, such as an injury.

Spain’s women have had little chance to celebrate their greatest soccer achievement because Luis Rubiales, the now former president of the federation, caused an uproar when he kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the lips at the awards ceremony in Sydney on Aug. 20.

The team members, along with dozens of other players, responded to his subsequent refusal to step down in the days after the kiss by announcing that they would not play for their nation again until the federation underwent deep reforms and had new leadership.

The federation has been in upheaval since. Rubiales was first suspended by soccer governing body FIFA, then his interim replacement fired women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, who was unpopular with players. Rubiales himself eventually resigned under immense pressure.

Many expected that the firing of Vilda and the exit of Rubiales would clear the path for the return of the players, but the players want more changes and, it appears, more officials and employees to be removed from the federation.

The players, through the FUTPRO players’ union, issued a statement Friday signed by 21 of its 23 World Cup winners, and 18 other players, explaining that “the changes that have been made are not sufficient.”

In the statement, the players said they want interim president Pedro Rocha, who was picked to succeed him by Rubiales, to also step down; the women’s team staff to be overhauled; and for personnel changes to also be made to the cabinet of the federation’s presidency and secretary general, the press relations and marketing department, and its integrity department charged with fighting discrimination.

“The charges we specified to the federation are based on showing zero tolerance toward people, who from their position in the federation, have practiced, incited, covered up or applauded attitudes that discriminate against women,” the players’ statement read.

They concluded their statement by saying “what most fills us with pride is wearing the shirt of the national team.”