The Spanish record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso has sided with the 15 “rebels” who, due to the bad relationship with coach Jorge Vilda, do not want to be called up to the national soccer team for the time being.
“I want to publicly express my unconditional support for my teammates,” the 32-year-old wrote on social media on Wednesday.
This means that the front against Vilda has a prominent name richer – Hermoso is not only the top scorer in Spain (46 goals), but also in FC Barcelona. She is currently playing for CF Pachuca in Mexico, having missed the European Championships in the summer due to an injury.
“Not only do I understand the reasons, but I have also experienced many of these feelings,” Hermoso continued. The 15 players had previously stated that the current situation under Vilda is affecting them “significantly” in their “emotional state” and “health”.
The Spanish FA reacted angrily to the comments, saying that they “do not allow the players to question the situation of the national team coach and the coaching staff, as this decision does not fall within their competence”. The association initially interpreted the protest as a resignation from the national team, but the players disagreed. They also never asked for the coach to be fired.