Sweden’s Fridolina Rolfö has criticized the Spanish Football Federation for its treatment of women’s national team players.
The Barcelona winger plays alongside six Spanish stars who are currently boycotting the national team – Aitana Bonmatí, Claudia Piña, Sandra Paños, Patri Guijarro, Maria Léon and Mariona Caldentey.
They are among 15 players who have emailed the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) claiming coach Jorge Vilda has had an impact on their ’emotional state’.
Rolfö joined fellow soccer stars Megan Rapinoe and Alex Morgan in offering his support to the striking players.
What did Fridolina Rolfö say about the player boycott?
In an exclusive interview with FotbollskanalenRolfö revealed that she would have taken the same step as the Spanish players.
“It’s very sad that it has come to this and that the players have chosen not to go to the national team camp,” she said. “It’s unfortunate.
“There are players who want to represent their national team, but now they have chosen to strike and not participate. I hope they find a solution.
“I support them 100%. And if I had been in their situation, I would have done the same, so I hope they find something.
Rolfö also criticized the RFEF, which threatened the players with a “long-term suspension”.
“I don’t understand at all,” she said. “There are a lot of question marks around actions and why people do what they do. It’s some of the best players in Spain and Europe in general who are left behind for lack of solutions.
“So it’s incredibly sad for them especially, but also for everyone who doesn’t see them play. Excluding these players and bringing in others instead is not the long-term solution to producing the best team. .”
Why are Spanish players in dispute with the RFEF?
Ainhoa Vicente Moraza, Patri Guijarro, Leila Ouahabi, Lucia Garcia, Laia Aleixandri, Ona Batlle, Andrea Pereira, Mariona Caldentey, Lola Gallardo, Nerea Eizaguirre and Amaiur Sarriegi have joined León, Piña, Bonmatí and Paños in boycotting the national team .
All 15 players have emailed the RFEF claiming that Vilda, who has been in charge since 2015, has had an impact on their “emotional state”.
The RFEF claimed the players had threatened to quit the national team if Vilda was not fired.
But the players later protested that was not the case, and they were disappointed that the RFEF had made their ‘private communication’ public.
“In no case have we resigned from the Spanish national team as the RFEF points out in its official statement,” they said.
But they admitted to having asked not to be called up because of “situations which affect our emotional and personal state, our performance, and consequently the results of the national team”.
Ballon d’Or winner and Barcelona star Alexia Putellas was not among the 15 players involved but later released a statement clarifying the situation.
The RFEF, which wants those involved to “accept their mistakes and ask for forgiveness”, has chosen to support Vilda.
