The soccer players have responded to the harsh statement from the Spanish Federation in which they assured that "it will not accept any type of pressure from any player when adopting sports measures" and warned that "the soccer players who have presented their resignation, they will only return to the discipline of the national team in the future if they accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness”.
In a text shared not only by the 15 internationals who had sent the mail to the Federation, including Alexia Putellas, they argue that "more and better goals" can be achieved with this generation of players and demand from the Federation "a determined commitment for a professional project. "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," they write and insist that they have never requested the Vilda's resignation.
They also regret that the Federation "partially and self-interestedly" has made public "a private communication with information that affects our health." And they correct the interpretation made of their email: “In no case have we RESIGNED the selection, 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 team”. And they add: "We will not tolerate the tone of infantilization with which the RFEF concludes its statement."
“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 implied, as a whim or blackmail?” are questioned in reference to the criticism received in various media and social networks.
“By requesting not to be called, we penalize 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 recently demonstrated”, they maintain.
Finally, they conclude: "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”.
