Jorge Vilda announces this afternoon (4:00 p.m.) the list for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, which starts on July 20. A list in which you must discard to keep the 23 internationals that on June 30 will be on the final list that will travel to Oceania. After nine months of struggle between some internationals and the Federation to request improvements in the team, several of them are expected to return to the national team.
In recent weeks, some of the ’15’ internationals who sent a letter in September asking not to be called up have approached the team again and, despite the fact that not all of their demands have been achieved, they have decided to return. They believe that the Federation’s position is now more open to dialogue and they want to try to fight for these improvements from within. In fact, three weeks ago Jorge Vilda was seen at the FC Barcelona Sports City, staging this rapprochement. Others, on the other hand, feel that the changes that have been made are not enough and will not return. This is the case of the blaugrana Mapi León, Patri Guijarro and Claudia Pina. The first two, moreover, have repeatedly publicly expressed their position. Goalkeeper Lola Gallardo has also done it, another of those who would not have made herself available to the coach.
This list will include, as La Vanguardia has learned, the Blaugrana’s Alexia Putellas, Aitana BonmatÃ, Sandra Paños and Mariona Caldentey, who confirmed yesterday on Balearic television that she was available for the coach, as well as the current player of the Manchester United, Ona Batlle, in the orbit of FC Barcelona.
The two-time Ballon d’Or player did not send the email to the Federation in September asking not to be called up, as she was injured at the time, but she did publicly show her support for her teammates through social networks. The pressure from the sponsors and having missed the Eurocup last summer due to injury have been two weighty arguments for the captain of Barça and the team to have decided to make herself available to Jorge Vilda.
Aitana Bonmatà will also be on this list, one of the biggest surprises given the vindictive nature of the Blaugrana footballer. The great season of Sant Pere de Ribes, added to the great absences that there will be in this World Cup make the midfielder a clear candidate for the Ballon d’Or this autumn.
There were 18 soccer players who supported the fight to achieve a more professional structure in the Spanish Federation, the 15 who sent the letter, plus Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes and Jenni Hermoso, who supported their teammates. These last two have already returned to the national team in the last two rallies. Of the ’15’ group, some 5-6 footballers return to the national team, the rest will be left out, either out of conviction or sports performance.
