Fifteen players from the Spanish women’s national team sent multiple emails to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) announcing their decision to depart from the team. This move arrived after a major international group attempted, unsuccessfully, to persuade Luis Rubiales to dismiss Jorge Vilda from his role as head coach.
In a formal statement, the RFEF stated that it would not tolerate players questioning the continuity of the national coaching staff. It also noted that, under current Spanish law, failure to participate in a national team call-up is classified as a very serious offense and can lead to a suspension ranging from two to five years.
Nevertheless, the federation emphasized that it would not bow to extreme pressure or force any player to don the Spain jersey. It underscored that the team would be composed of committed players, even if some decisions involve younger athletes stepping in.
The body, chaired by Rubiales, added that players who had submitted their resignations could rejoin the national team discipline in the future only if they acknowledged their mistakes and asked for forgiveness. Notably, the current Ballon d’Or holder and Barcelona star, Alexia Putellas, was not among those who submitted resignations.
Revolt against Vilda
Less than a month earlier, media reports from inside the team revealed growing discontent with Vilda that had been brewing for some time. This dissatisfaction had already led to a meeting with Rubiales to demand his dismissal. Among the topics discussed were concerns about the coach’s training routines, which players felt fell short of their needs, and the results from the most recent European Championship.
The RFEF asserted that it would not tolerate any pressure from players while implementing sporting measures. Such actions, the federation argued, ran counter to the principles of football and sport and could be harmful. Initially, the federation had adopted a cautious stance while evaluating the situation.
Following the upheaval sparked by the dissent, the team’s three captains—Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso, and Patri Guijarro—appeared at a press conference to dispute claims that they were seeking Vilda’s removal. Instead, they described themselves as highlighting specific issues that many players found troubling.
Yesterday, their announcement gained international attention, prompting a flurry of commentary. Today the team is featured in a sequence of photographs illustrating their stance. The posts captured a moment in a broader conversation about team dynamics and leadership during a period of intense scrutiny.
The pressure from some players did not alter Rubiales’s position. He reiterated his confidence in Vilda and, in the current week, took steps to refresh and strengthen the rosters across Spain’s women’s football setup. Vilda retained his role as coach and sporting director overseeing both the senior and youth levels of the women’s teams.
As the situation evolved, the players who had considered stepping away said the experience had a substantial impact on their emotional well-being and overall health. The federation noted that all fifteen emails reportedly shared very similar wording, a coincidence that drew cautious scrutiny from observers.
Ultimately, the decision to withdraw was framed as a choice concerning dignity as much as sport. The federation described the scenario as unprecedented in the history of both women’s and men’s football in Spain and, by extension, in global soccer, reflecting a moment where sporting and ethical considerations converged in a single, defining episode.