“Embarrassment for the entire country”: Spain’s world champions compete in the Nations League under threat to their careers and only after government intervention.
While Spanish football was once again in decline, Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez met with FIFA President Gianni Infantino on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. There was a meeting, a shared photo, a handshake and a message from Sánchez: The kingdom is continuing to work on its candidacy for the 2030 World Cup with Portugal and Morocco. “And we do this with a clear idea: football is a global sport that can convey values,” he said.
At the same hour, Spain’s best footballers were negotiating with their football association in Oliva near Valencia. Against their will and to everyone’s astonishment, they were called up by the new national coach Montse Tomé for the Nations League games on Friday in Sweden and on Tuesday against Switzerland. “We were forced to come here” – said FC Barcelona’s Mapi León.
The conflict has been simmering for a year
The world-class defender León has not played for Spain for over a year because the conflict with the association has been going on for so long. At that time, 15 players went on strike to protest against some of the officials and their methods. Some returned to the World Cup in the summer, which Spain won without the breakaways.
But association president Luis Rubiales torpedoed the triumph with his mouth-kissing attack on striker Jenni Hermoso. When he refused a sincere apology and instead blamed Hermoso and “false feminism” for the scandal that attracted worldwide attention, all of the country’s top players announced their resignation from the national team.
39 of them, including 21 of the 23 world champions, maintained this boycott after Rubiales announced his resignation last week under pressure from the world association FIFA. World Cup coach Jorge Vilda was also replaced, but only for his former assistant Tomé. And there was no sign of the “structural changes” that the players had made a condition for a comeback. Under the interim successor Pedro Rocha appointed by Rubiales, the old ropes and machinations continued to rule.
Hermoso: “Strategy of division and manipulation”
“Another strategy of division and manipulation to intimidate us and threaten us with legal consequences and economic sanctions” – that’s what Hermoso called Monday’s forced appointment. Their purpose was pure Machiavellianism: According to Spanish sports law, athletes who disregard the reputation of a national selection risk a long-term professional ban – even at club level.
For this reason and because Secretary of State for Sports Víctor Franco promised them the government’s mediation after a year of reluctance, all 23 nominees appeared in Oliva during the afternoon. Most people hang their heads and say nothing. Tired of empty promises such as ad hoc appointments with spontaneous travel plans. Torn between what has long been her social role as courageous champions of the Spanish women’s movement – and worries about her football career.
Negotiations until five in the morning
It was against this background that we spoke. Players with State Secretary. Players with an association, although its interim boss Rocha wasn’t even there. State Secretary with association. The discussions continued until five in the morning.
The results announced afterwards still leave a lot of room for clarification. A joint commission of players, the association and Francos’ sports supervisory authority CSD is to be founded to push forward reforms. And more heads of “Rubialism” are to roll, with the media – so far no official body – primarily naming the association’s general secretary Andreu Camps.
The controversial trainer is allowed to stay
Perhaps the most surprising thing: Montse Tomé should remain in office – even though she, too, had split things when she didn’t invite Hermoso and lied when she claimed to have spoken to the nominated players about their appointments. Although she was ultimately responsible for, or at least approved of, a grotesque that Franco described as “unacceptable” and a “disgrace for the entire country.”
Of the players, 21 wanted to stay in Oliva, two are leaving. “I thanked the 21 deeply for their gesture, in my opinion it honors them,” explained Francos at dawn: “Two do not feel they have enough power and strength, but I want there to be the same respect for some as for the others gives.”
The politician was relieved because the game will probably take place on Friday in Gothenburg, after even the Swedes had considered a solidarity boycott in the previous days. The world number one welcomes the second, it’s about the women’s debut of the Nations League and the only two European Olympic tickets that are awarded as part of it. It could have been a football festival. But half of the actors will not play of their own free will.