In a huge setback for Spanish football, 15 players from the national women’s football team resigned due to disagreement with the training methods of their head coach Jorge Vilda and his staff. They said that Vilda’s methods were taking a toll on their emotional and physical health. 

The Royal Spanish  Football Federation (RFEF) reacted to the incident by saying that it was  “an unprecedented situation in the history of football, both male and female, in Spain and worldwide.” The federation has come down heavily on the players and demanded an apology from them.

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RFEF said in a statement that the fifteen players from the Spanish women’s football team emailed the federation about their decision. They have asked the federation to not select them for the upcoming tournaments

“The RFEF can confirm that, throughout today, we received 15 emails from 15 players of the women’s senior football team… in which they state that the current situation affects ‘significantly’ their emotional state and their health and that, ‘as long as it is not reversed’, they resign from the Spanish national team,” RFEF said.

The emails were identical and said that the players were unhappy with how Vilda was managing injuries, the training sessions, team selection, and the overall atmosphere in the dressing room. 

Elaborating on their stand to stick with Vilda, the federation said that it can’t “allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers.”

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It is being reported that the RFEF has told the players that they will not be allowed back on the national team unless they accept that there has been a mistake on their part and ask for forgiveness. 

“The federation will not admit any type of pressure from any player when adopting sports measures. These types of maneuvers are far from exemplary and outside the values ​​of football and sport and are harmful,” it added.

RFEF, however, has not disclosed the identities of the rebel players.