The president of the Supreme Sports Council, Víctor Francos, said after the meeting with the players that the absentees “will not find themselves in either the RFEF or the CSD with a sanction process”.
Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro are the two footballers who have left the concentration of the Spanish national team. With his absence, there are 21 who will play international matches .
The athletes argued that they were not in the best mental condition to face the obligations of the League of Nations, which Spain will play this Friday in Sweden and on Tuesday against Switzerland in Cordoba.
After the meeting that ended this Wednesday morning between the players of the national team, the President of the Supreme Sports Council (CSD) , Víctor Francos, the coach Montse Tomé and members of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), it was announced that 21 of the 23 players remained in the national team and only two were left, although it was not disclosed which were the players.
At the end of this meeting, Francos made it clear that anyone who decided to leave the concentration of the Spanish national team would not be sanctioned . “The first thing we convey is that anyone who does not feel comfortable for any reason knows that it will not end with a sanction process either in the RFEF or in the CSD,” he said.
Finally, the footballers who are leaving are the Barcelona players Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who, when leaving the concentration hotel, indicated that they were leaving the concentration because they were not emotionally ready to play.
Both players claim that they are “not the way back”
Finally, the footballers who are leaving are the Barcelona players Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who, when leaving the concentration hotel, indicated that they were leaving the concentration because they were not emotionally ready to play.
Mapi Leon explained in an appearance before the media that after the absence of both of them at the last World Cup, these were not “the paths to return” to the national team and that they were not “able” to continue with their teammates. .
“It’s a reality that the situation is different for Patri and for me than for the rest of my teammates,” the Barcelona player said.
Both Leon and Guijarro signed the manifesto of the 15 a year ago, in which they renounced playing for the national team and, after maintaining the position, lost the World Cup last month, in which Spain was proclaimed champion.
His call-up for the next two Nations League matches was made by the new coach Montse Tomé , despite the will against the players.
“There was no way to return and we are not able to. This is a process,” Leon said as he left the rally in Oliva.
“ We are pleased, because it is true that some changes are taking place , we have arrived in a different port. We fully support our colleagues in this, as we have always done,” ” Leon stressed.
His teammate Guijarro agreed that” these changes have not yet occurred “, which the players in the federation are demanding,”but work is being done on this”.
“Yesterday we managed to reach a joint commission. We are with our colleagues, but it’s a different situation and it’s quite difficult. Personally, being here is how it happened… mentally, you’re not there,” Guijarro said.
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Male athletes will not receive any sanctions or pressure
The situation of female football players is very different from that of their male counterparts. There are countless cases of athletes who leave the calls to the Spanish national team without receiving pressure, sanctions or consequences of any kind.
Tennis player Carlos Alcaraz announced only 10 days ago that he was taking a break for health reasons and therefore would not participate in the Davis Cup. Nothing happened. Cyclist Juan Ayuso announced last season that he would not be representing Spain at the World Championships after a very demanding year on a sporting level. And years earlier, in 2010, Pau Gasol informed his association that he would not participate in the Basketball World Cup in Turkey.
And in the world of football, in December 2005, for political reasons, Oleguer Presas did not play for the men’s national team. Then the athlete took part in a campaign in favor of the sports teams of Catalonia and it was speculated that he would refuse the call.
But the case was treated quite differently than the current one . The then national voter Luis Aragonés decided to hold a meeting with him before inviting him. At this meeting, he asked her not to call him from now on to avoid trouble. And so it was: Oleguer Presas was not summoned and the matter was terminated without consequences for the football player.
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