By Fernando Kallas
LAS ROZAS, Spain (Reuters) -The majority of Spain players who last month won the Women’s World Cup were selected on Monday for upcoming fixtures against Sweden and Switzerland by their newly-appointed coach, Montse Tome, after they appeared to end their boycott.
Fifteen out of the 23 cup-winning squad were included on the list, as well as two players – Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro – who were not called up for the World Cup after signing an open letter against then-coach Jorge Vilda.
Asked at a news conference if she had spoken to the players, Tome said she had but would not reveal what she had discussed with them.
“It’s the start of a new phase, the clock is ticking. There is nothing behind us and we really want to connect with these players,” she said.
On Friday, a group of 39 players – including 21 out of the 23 cup-winning squad – said it wanted further changes at the country’s football federation, as the resignation of its chief Luis Rubiales and the replacement of coach Jorge Vilda were not enough for them to return to the side.
An original group of 81 players had called the boycott in the wake of the furore over Rubiales’ allegedly unsolicited kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso in Sydney after Spain won the tournament.
Hermoso was not on the squad list announced on Monday.
“We stand with Jenni … we believe that the best way to protect her is like this, but we are counting on Jenni,” Tome said.
(Reporting by Fernando Kallas; Writing by David Latona; Editing by Andrei Khalip and Charlie Devereux)
