Spanish football players are threatening legal action after “intimidation” and “compulsory selection” in the aftermath of Kissgate

National coach Tomé revealed that she had spoken to the players before drawing up her selection. It is not clear what exactly the conversations were about. But the problems within the Spanish national women’s team continue to persist. Jenni Hermoso, who was kissed on the lips by then president Rubiales after winning the World Cup final, accuses the Spanish Football Association of “threatening and intimidating” the players by calling them up for the Nations League international matches against their will. She reports on X.

No fewer than fifteen players from Spain’s champion team were selected by Tomé, even though their strike has not yet officially ended. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas saw her opportunity to make a new statement in support of her colleagues who are obliged to represent the national team again. In their statement on social media, the players announced that they are considering legal action against the Football Association because they were selected despite specifically asking not to be called up.

“Protect against what?”

Hermoso himself was not called up by Tomé. The Spanish national coach indicated that Hermoso’s non-selection was “the best way to protect her”. But the Spanish attacker was not at all pleased with that. “Let us be clear: they promised us that the environment within the union would be safe for my colleagues to return. Yet at the same press conference it was announced that they were not calling on me to protect me. What do they want to protect me from? And against whom,” Hermoso wondered.

“We looked for weeks for protection from the RFEF and it did not come. The players are sure that this is yet another strategy of division and manipulation to intimidate us and threaten us with legal repercussions and economic sanctions,” Hermoso also wrote on to respond to yet another unfortunate situation caused by the Spanish federation.”