• First list Tomé calls several champions and some of the 'rebels'
  • RFEF Statement Promises "a safe environment" and urges players to "join the change"
  • Athenea del Castillo "We can't execute those changes we're asking for"

Last Friday, in the after-dinner table, 39 Spanish footballers, including 21 of the 23 world champions, made public a statement. In the 533 words that made it up, at no time was any explicit refusal to attend an eventual call from the Spanish team. The interpretation of that text was obvious: they did not want to be called until those "structural changes" that they have been asking for took place, and that translated into Spanish means the dismissal of at least half a dozen people, managers and workers of the Federation, which they consider prevent a "safe environment" for them. But that absence of an explicit resignation is what the Federation has used to make its list of summoned withouthaving reached an agreement with them.

Because there is no agreement. As much as they insisted to Montse Tomé during the press conference, he was not able to guarantee that the selected players (among which are 15 world champions and even Mapi León and Patri Guijarro, 'rebels' who did not give their arm to twist even to be this summer in the team) will be this Tuesday in Madrid at a time yet to be determined. Federation sources insist that there was no "explicit" refusal of the players to be called.

As this newspaper has learned, the players are now "very surprised". In fact, they are in talks with their lawyers to see what options they have, and even one of those lawyers is trying to make an official consultation to UEFA to see if the call of the Federation has complied with all the regulatory parameters, such as having to send 15 days in advance a pre-list to the organization of the competition (UEFA in this case) or a pre-notice to the clubs where Footballers play. In short: the match against Sweden, on the first day of the Nations League, scheduled for Friday at 18.30 pm in Göteborg, is in the air.

"I am confident that they will be here tomorrow," Tomé repeated on several occasions during the press conference, and that is the closest he has been to ensuring the presence of the selected. Pure "confidence", because I knew that there had been no agreement at this time of the afternoon. In fact, the Federation, shortly before releasing the list (16.30 hours) had published a statement in which there are perfectly calculated phrases in anticipation of a possible legal dispute, either in the sports or ordinary jurisdiction.

"The RFEF wants to convey to the internationals of the National Team the public commitment acquired by the new direction of the institution that directs football in Spain [...]. Therefore, the players are urged to join this change led by the Federation, understanding that the transformations that must continue must be solid and fair." That is, a kind of public guarantee of changes that pretend to leave without arguments to the players, who have taken a great surprise when they have heard their names and who now have very little room for maneuver.

In the call would return the three goalkeepers of last summer: Misa Rodríguez, Cata Coll, Enith Salon; in defense would also return Irene Paredes, Laia Codina, Oihane, Olga Carmona and Ona Batlle. In midfield Tomé has called Aitana Bonmatí, Alexia Putellas, María Pérez and Teresa Abelleira. And as for the forwards and world champions, Esther González and Eva Navarro would return to the national team, as well as Athenea del Castillo, the only one who had been unmarked from the internationals last Friday, when 21 of the 23 champions made a statement announcing that they maintained their refusal to be cited.

  • football
  • RFEF
  • Spain Women's National Team
  • Montse Tomé