The crisis which threatened to see the Spanish women’s team miss out on the chance of qualifying for the Olympic Games seems to have been averted, at least for the moment, after 21 members of the 23-player squad agreed to travel to play Sweden in the UEFA Nations League on Friday.
The players had threatened not to play after new coach Montse Tome had called up members of Spain’s World Cup winning squad, despite them signing a letter refusing to play for their country until further changes were made in the organization of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
With players facing the possibility of a fine and a long suspension for refusing to represent their country, many viewed Tome’s decision as an effort to pressure the squad by the RFEF, following the Luis Rubiales affair.
Not travelling would also have cost the world champions vital points in their challenge to play in next summer’s Olympic Games.
However, following a long meeting with the president of Spain’s Higher Sports Council, Victor Francos, until almost 5 a.m. on Wednesday morning, the players have agreed to travel.
“The players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making these changes immediately,” said Francos after the meeting.
Francos added that the government would “aim to develop, gender policies, advances in equal pay, in structures for sport and specifically for women’s football,” in the coming months and that a joint commission would be set up to oversee the changes.
Amanda Gutierrez, president of the Futpro Union, welcomed the accord, saying, “the players have shown themselves to be coherent, and the vast majority have decided to stay for the sake of this agreement.”
