(Football news) RFEF had released a statement in which they confirmed that 15 players had threatened to 'resign' from the national team if the coach Jorge Vilda wasn't replaced as it was causing them mental and emotional health problems. The federation expressed disappointment and also said that they will not allow the players to pressure them. The RFEF backed their manager and said that the 15 players will not be called up in the future unless they accept their mistake and apologise. The 15 players have now released a joint statement and Alexia Putellas who reportedly wasn't one of those 15 players has also released the statement. Putellas is currently out with a long term injury she suffered while playing for Spain which is likely to be one of the immediate causes for the mutiny.

The statement read " The players regret, in the first place, that the RFEF has made public, in a partial and interested way, a private communication, with information that affects our health – which is part of our privacy -, sent in response to the request of the own Federation to know which of us wanted not to be summoned. Communication to which, by the way, we have not received a formal response. Secondly, in no case have we RESIGNED the Spanish Soccer Team as the RFEF points out in its official statement. As we said in our private communication, we have maintained, continue to maintain and will continue to maintain an unquestionable commitment to the Spanish National Team."

"That is why we request in our communication sent to the RFEF not to be summoned until situations that affect our emotional and personal state, our performance and, consequently, the results of the Selection and that could result in undesirable injuries. These would be the reasons that lead us to make this decision. We want a firm commitment to a professional project in which all aspects are taken care of to get the best performance from a group of players with whom we believe that more and better goals can be achieved. We wish the best for the RFEF, for the Women's National Team and for us in particular, without entering into public wars."

"We have never asked for the dismissal of the coach as has been commented. We understand that our work is not in any case to choose said position, but to express constructively and honestly what we consider can improve the performance of the group. 'Can anyone think that, eight months before a World Cup, a group of TOP-LEVEL PLAYERS, which is what we consider ourselves, consider this decision, as has been publicly understood, as a whim or blackmail?"

"By requesting not to be called, we penalise our professional career, our economy and of course continue to build something important in women's football. Because getting to where we are right now has taken years of effort from many people. And there are still many things to improve as it is being demonstrated recently. From our ambition as players, fighters and winners, we just want to be able to achieve maximum professional and personal success again. Last but not least, we will not tolerate the infantilizing tone with which the RFEF concludes its statement."

"We regret that in the context of women's sport we have to go to this extreme, as unfortunately has happened in other national teams and other sports historically worldwide, in order to advance in a powerful and ambitious professional project for the present and for future generations."

The players in their statement say that they never threatened to 'resign' but instead said that they wish not to be called up until the situation is reversed which isn't much of contradiction but it is just using different words. They also said that they remain committed to the national team but their returning will only cause more unnecessary injuries and other health issues. The statement also said that they never asked for the coach to be sacked because they understand that it is not their call but they just gave their constructive opinion so that there can be a good sporting project for the future. 

The players are also not happy with the tone that RFEF have used in the statement which was infantilizing according to them. They also said that it is a shame that the federation took the private letters as some sort of a blackmail and decided to go public with it. The statement also said that they regret having to go public because the RFEF decided to publicise what was supposed to be a private discussion. The statement refutes a few claims made by the RFEF and also disagrees with the words and language more than anything else. The one problem in the statement is that it doesn't highlight why the players had to go as far as mass mutiny and it doesn't highlight what the exact problem is. If the players have not asked for the coach to be replaced then what exactly do they want? 

Ana Alvarez who is the director of women's football in RFEF said that Vilda will not be sacked as he has an agreement till 2024. She also said that it would be far from reality if the players say that non sporting things are the reasons behind the players' opposition to the coach. Alvarez also said that the 15 players will get their wish and not be called up and RFEF made it clear that they will continue backing Vilda even if it means that they have to play the youth team. Even though 15 players and now 16 if you count Putellas are a majority, it's still not the entirety. Real Madrid have quite a few good Spanish who haven't opposed the coach and there are also others who can be called up. However, for the good of Spanish football, it is important that there is dialogue between the coach, players and the RFEF to at least try and resolve the problems.

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