BARCELONA, Spain (AP) — Spain's World Cup-winning players are continuing their refusal to play for the women's national team, the country's soccer federation said Friday, just hours before new coach Montse Tomé was set to announce her first squad.
Rubiales was first suspended by soccer governing body FIFA, then his interim replacement fired women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda, who was unpopular with players.
But it appears that the players want more changes, even though they have not made their specific demands public.
The federation — led by Rubiales — firmly backed Vilda, and only three of those players relented and were eventually included in the World Cup squad.
In Vilda’s place, the federation hired Tomé, his former assistant, as the first female coach of Spain’s women’s team.
Persons:
Montse Tomé, Tomé, Luis Rubiales, Jenni Hermoso, Rubiales, Jorge Vilda, ”, Rubiales —, —, Spain’s, Alexia Putellas, Ballon, ” Alexia, ” Rubiales, Hermoso, ___
Organizations:
women's, Nations League, Sweden, FIFA, Spain, Vilda, World
Locations:
BARCELONA, Spain, Switzerland, Sydney, Australia, New Zealand