football: five players break the strike after the stolen kiss affair, the unity of the Spanish selection chipped
While all the world champions had declared themselves strikers in reaction to the Rubiales affair, five of them finally decided to respond to their Federation’s call this Tuesday.
Six Spanish international footballers, five of whom had been on strike since the Rubiales affair, finally showed up on Tuesday at a first gathering of their selection in Madrid, after having reaffirmed on Monday that they did not wish to play again with La Roja for the moment.
Five internationals have joined the selection
Real Madrid player Olga Carmona, who scored the winning goal in the World Cup final on August 20 against England, and four other striking internationals joined their coach and her staff in a hotel near the Madrid airport.
All were signatories of the press release published Friday, in which 39 players, including 21 of the 23 world champions, announced that the conditions were not met for them to play again with Spain.
After the resignation of Luis Rubiales following his forced kiss imposed on Jenni Hermoso, and the dismissal of coach Jorge Vilda, whose methods they criticized, they are demanding profound structural changes within the Spanish Football Federation.
The coach believes in the end of the strike
A sixth player, Athenea del Castillo, who is not on strike, also showed up on Monday, while her other teammates are expected at the Oliva camp, near Valencia, according to the Spanish press, to prepare for the match Nations League in Sweden on Thursday.
Will all of the strikers accept their summons? “Yes,” assured coach Montse Tomé upon her arrival at the hotel, after having created a surprise on Monday by announcing a list including fifteen world champions and other players who had asked not to be selected in the meantime of a total overhaul of the Federation.
