Spain has been thrown into another footballing scandal with 15 of its women’s team players refusing to play under their current coach Jorge Vilda.
The Spanish FA (RFEF) has confirmed the news while also confirming the resignation of the players if things stay put.
Reports of a rift between the players and the coach were gradually gaining voices with the players reportedly not happy with his management of injuries, the atmosphere in the locker room, the team selection and his training sessions.
Vilda, however, seems to have the Spanish FA in his corner.
“The RFEF can confirm that, throughout today, we received 15 emails from 15 players of the women’s senior soccer team… in which they state that the current situation affects ‘significantly’ their emotional state and their health and that, ‘as long as it is not reversed’, they resign from the Spanish national team,” the Spanish FA said in a statement.
“The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers.”
The governing body also confirmed that refusing to honour a call-up for a national team was classified as a “very serious infraction and can carry sanctions of two and five years of disqualification”.
Identities of the 15 players were not revealed to the public with the Spanish FA maintaining that it fully supported the coach and that the players will only return to the team if they “recognise their mistake and ask for forgiveness”.
Jorge Vilda, who recently guided Spain to the quarterfinals of the Women’s Euros where they lost to eventual champions England, has been with the team since 2015.
