Football star Jenni Hermoso has accused the Spanish federation of attempting to intimidate and threaten the World Cup champion players by forcing them to participate in two Nations League matches against their will. Hermoso, who was subjected to a forced kiss by former Spanish Football Federation president Luis Rubiales after her team's victory in Sydney, expressed her support for her teammates despite not being included in the squad. In a statement on X (formerly Twitter), Hermoso stated that the players believe this is another tactic of division and manipulation aimed at intimidating them with legal consequences and economic sanctions.

The controversial kiss from Rubiales caused international outrage and led to his resignation, as well as the dismissal of coach Jorge Vilda. Vilda was replaced by his assistant, Montse Tome. On Friday, 39 players, including 21 of the 23 World Cup players, released a statement expressing that the conditions were not suitable for their return to the national team and called for further changes within various federation departments.

However, on Monday, the new coach called up approximately 15 of the World Cup champions and other signatories of the statement to play in the Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland. These matches are part of the qualification process for the Paris 2024 Olympics. The players who were called up by Tome and were part of the initial 39 signatories published a statement on social media, including two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas. In their statement, the players reiterated their firm decision not to participate for valid reasons, emphasizing that their previous statements still hold true.

The summoned players are expected to report to Madrid on Tuesday, and failure to attend could result in heavy fines and a suspension of their federation license for a period ranging from two to fifteen years. Hermoso expressed her support for her surprised colleagues who have been forced to react to yet another unfortunate situation caused by the decision-makers within the Spanish Football Federation. Despite not being included in the squad, Hermoso questioned the need for her protection, asking, "Protect me from what? And from whom?"

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