An unusual event today (Thursday) in Spain. 15 of the players of the team, which reached the quarter-finals of the last European Championship, informed the Spanish Federation of their retirement from the national uniform in protest of the retention of coach Jorge Wilda in the post.
The players, including the star and Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Potias, announced that they would not continue with the national team as long as Villeda is on the line. They claimed that the coach harmed their mental health and demanded to fire the coach who had previously addressed the complicated situation in the locker room. The Spanish federation, meanwhile, backs the coach.
the association Message: “We received 15 emails from 15 different players, with the same wording. They all said that the situation had a ‘significant’ effect on their ‘health’ and their mental ‘state’ (quotes in the original) and therefore chose not to continue with the team.”
“The Spanish federation will not allow the players to force the dismissal of the coach, it is not within their authority. The retiring players risk two to five years of suspension from the league, but it is important to make it clear that we will not put pressure on the players or push them to the limit. The players who expressed a desire to retire will no longer be invited to the national team.”
“This crisis has become a crisis of trust and not a sporting problem. You can’t argue with the team, for both the men and the women. The team needs players who are committed to the project and the national uniform.”