According to a media report, the Spanish football association RFEF offered the striking national players in the kissing scandal personnel changes in the organization, but at the same time issued an ultimatum.
The world champions should announce by midnight at the latest whether they will play for the national team again, reported the Spanish radio station “Onda Cero”.
If there is no response from the footballers by 00:00 a.m., the association will interpret this as a refusal, the broadcaster reported. Fines and bans lasting several years could then be imposed. There was initially no official confirmation from the RFEF or the players. Time is of the essence because the new coach Montse Tomé needs to know which footballers she can expect for the Nations League games on Thursday against Sweden and the following Tuesday against Switzerland.
Calls for dismissal of RFEF President Rochas
21 of the 23 Spanish footballers who won the World Cup in August and 18 other top players called for the dismissal of RFEF President Pedro Rochas on Friday, among other things. Until these and other demands are not met, they will not compete for Spain. Shortly afterwards, however, the RFEF announced that Rocha would “lead the transition process in the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) until the next elections.” The new election is not planned until the beginning of next year.
The players believe that the resignation of RFEF President Luis Rubiales, who kissed world champion Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth without being asked, and the separation from coach Jorge Vilda are insufficient. In addition to Rochas, who was favored by Rubiales as his successor, they would demand the resignation of other officials, wrote the newspaper “Mundo Deportivo”.
Accordingly, the general secretary of the association, Andreu Camps, and an employee of the press department should also be fired if the players have their way. The reason is that shortly after the award ceremony in Sydney they distributed a statement from the association in which words were put into Hermoso’s mouth that she had not said.