The president of Spain’s High Council for Sports (CSD) Victor Francos, has announced that players from the national women’s team will face punishment for failure to attend training camp.
Spain’s new coach Montse Tome called up 15 players from the World Cup champions to her 23-man squad for the forthcoming Nations League matches on Monday.
However, the majority among them have chosen to abstain from representing the national team as they advocate for significant reforms within the Spanish Football Federation.
Spain’s national sports law of the year 2022 dictates that athletes must attend all national team assignments when called upon.
Failure to which this would be considered a very serious infraction attracting a fine of range between 3,000 and 30,000 euros ($3,200 to $32,100).
Also, an athlete’s license to play sports could be revoked and or serve a five-year sentence.
Spain’s top sports court has been requested to make a decision on whether the striking players will be punished or not.
This comes at the back of World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso‘s statement accusing the Spanish football federation of threatening and intimidating the striking players.
The World Cup-winning squad players had indicated that they did not wish to participate in any international assignment.
The players had said they wouldn’t come back until their demands for deep reforms and new leadership in the federation were met.
They initially indicated that they would not wish to play for the national team as nothing had changed despite the sacking of the federation president Luis Rubiales as well as the national team coach.
Disgraced president Luis Rubiales resigned after kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso, who was not called up by head coach Tome.
Hermoso has today released a separate statement on social media, saying the RFEF has demonstrated that nothing has changed since Rubiales resigned from his post last week.
“We have spent weeks, months, searching for protection from inside the RFEF that never came. she wrote.
“The same people who ask us to trust them are those who today announced a squad with players who asked NOT to be called up.
“The players are certain that this is yet another strategy of division and manipulation to intimidate and threaten us with legal repercussions and economic sanctions.
“It is more irrefutable proof that shows even today, that nothing has changed.
On September 22, Spain is set to face Sweden in the Nations League, followed by a match against Switzerland on September 26.
The teams that ultimately reach the Nations League finals will secure a berth in the 2024 Olympic Games. Francos mentioned that he intends to contact several players on Tuesday morning in an effort to address the matter.
