Saturday, May 11

Hermoso criticizes Spanish soccer federation and accuses it of threatening World Cup-winning gamers

MADRID (AP) — The participant in the course of the controversy that engulfed Spanish soccer after she was kissed on the lips by an official has accused the nation’s soccer federation of attempting to intimidate the World Cup-winning gamers by choosing them for the nationwide crew although they requested to not be known as up.

Jenni Hermoso, who mentioned she didn’t consent to the kiss by former federation president Luis Rubiales throughout the World Cup awards ceremony final month, mentioned in a press release early Tuesday that the federation’s choice to name up almost half of the 39 gamers who mentioned they’d not play for the nationwide crew as a protest was “irrefutable proof” that “nothing has changed.”

The gamers had mentioned they wouldn’t come again till their calls for for deep reforms and new management within the federation had been met, however new coach Montse Tomé on Tuesday picked 15 of the gamers who helped Spain win its first Women’s World Cup final month.



Tomé left Hermoso off the listing “as a way to protect her,” she mentioned.

“Protect me from what?” Hermoso mentioned. “A claim was made stating that the environment within the federation would be safe for my colleagues to rejoin, yet at the same press conference it was announced that they were not calling me as a means to protect me.”

Tomé mentioned she talked to Hermoso and to the opposite gamers, and mentioned she was assured that they’d all report back to coaching camp on Tuesday.

The gamers mentioned Monday that they had been caught without warning by the call-up and didn’t plan to finish their boycott.

The squad announcement had been initially deliberate for Friday however was postponed as a result of no settlement had been reached with the gamers.

On Monday, the federation launched a press release during which it publicly reiterated to the gamers its dedication to structural modifications.

“The people who now ask us to trust them are the same ones who disclosed the list of players who have asked NOT to be called up,” Hermoso mentioned. “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.”

According to Spanish sports regulation, athletes are required to reply the decision of its nationwide groups except there are circumstances that impede them from enjoying, corresponding to an damage. The gamers mentioned Monday they’d research the attainable authorized penalties of not reporting to the coaching camp, however mentioned they believed the federation couldn’t pressure them to hitch the crew. They argued that the call-up was not made in accordance with present FIFA rules, and a few of the gamers, particularly these overseas, wouldn’t be capable to present up in time.

“I want to once again show my full support to my colleagues who have been caught by surprise and forced to react to another unfortunate situation caused by the people who continue to make decisions within (the federation),” Hermoso mentioned. “This is why we are fighting and why we are doing it in this way.”

Among the gamers’ calls for was for interim president Pedro Rocha additionally to resign, and for the ladies’s crew employees to be overhauled.

Last 12 months, 15 gamers rebelled towards former coach Jorge Vilda asking for a extra skilled surroundings. Tomé, an assistant to Vilda at the World Cup, included in her first listing a few of the gamers who rebelled.

Spain will play Nations League video games towards Sweden on Friday and Switzerland on Sept. 26.

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