BARCELONA: Most of Spain's women's national team have agreed to stay with the squad, the government said Wednesday, after a strike by the World Cup winners sparked by the disgraced former president of the football federation forcibly kissing a player.
The announcement followed hours of overnight negotiations over player demands for further changes at the Spanish football federation (RFEF) after ex-president Luis Rubiales resigned.
"We have arrived at a series of agreements which will be drawn up and signed tomorrow" between the RFEF and the Spanish government, said Victor Francos, secretary of state for sports, adding that two of the 23 players who had been called up did not wish to continue with the squad.
The departing duo, Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, were among 15 players who went on strike before the World Cup in protest at the methods of then national coach Jorge Vilda and other issues with the federation.
Neither played a part in the triumphant campaign in Australia and New Zealand and upon leaving the team camp on Wednesday said they were "not in the right state" to play in the upcoming matches.
The remaining players trained for the first time under new caoch Montse Tome on Wednesday afternoon.
A total of 19 players from Tome's squad had been on strike over changes they want made to the RFEF, sparking concerns they would not play in upcoming Nations League games, jeopardising the team's chance of playing in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
In the hours before the deal was announced, players selected by Tome gathered for a training camp despite declaring themselves unavailable, some expressing fear of facing sanctions if they refused to play.
They had faced possible fines and potentially losing their licences to play for up to five years, including at club level.
Francos said Wednesday those who decided not to play would not face sanctions.
"It's a reality that the situation for me and for Patri is different to the rest of our team-mates... we are not in the right state," Barcelona defender Leon said.
Guijarro said: "It's quite difficult and quite hard, and ... mentally we are not right to be here."
Valencia player Claudia Florentina will replace Leon in the squad, while a substitute for Guijarro is yet to be named. --AFP
