Blaugrana’s Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey, as well as Ona Batlle (Manchester United), have returned to the national team. Nine months after the pulse that the players maintained with the Federation, in which they demanded a more professional structure, these four footballers return to a call. Patri Guijarro, Mapi León and Claudia Pina do not do it of their own volition, who consider that the changes are not enough and stay out of the selection out of conviction.
Sandra Paños is not there either. The Alicante goalkeeper did send an email to the Federation in which she was available, but Vilda leaves her out by technical decision in a pre-list in which there are four goalkeepers, including Paños’ substitute at FC Barcelona, ??Cata Coll.
The thirty chosen footballers will concentrate on Vilda’s orders from Monday: “It is a continuous list with additions that make a better, stronger selection”, assessed the selector yesterday. The Madrid coach will have to rule out seven players before June 30, when he will announce the final list with the 23 footballers who will travel to Australia and New Zealand. The World Cup will be played from July 20 to August 20.
In total, 3 of the 15 internationals who sent a letter to the Federation on September 22 asking not to be called up are returning: Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle. A group that does not include Alexia Putellas, who was injured at the time this email was sent, but who shared the statement from the footballers on her social networks. The pressure from sponsors and the desire to play in a World Cup after being injured hours before debuting in the Eurocopa in the summer have weighed on the captain of Barça and the national team, who has also acted as a mediator in negotiations with the Federation. Nor were they part of the 15, although they shared their claim, Irene Paredes and Jenni Hermoso. Madrid returned to the national team in February, while Blaugrana returned to Vilda’s last call-up in March. Since then, the positions between some international players and the coach have been getting closer. In fact, the Madrid coach visited the Blaugrana last month and let himself be seen in the sports city to stage this dialogue. “The Federation, from the president to the coaching staff, has always been open to dialogue and has shown itself in favor of resolving the conflict. It’s practically resolved, only a few fringes are missing”, assured the coach yesterday.
The footballers who have decided to make themselves available to the national team again consider that the Federation has listened to them and has implemented some of the improvements they were demanding, both in the sporting and economic fields. The only one that has transpired so far is the implementation of a conciliation plan that will allow footballers who are mothers to travel with their children under two years of age and with a carer when traveling.
These improvements have not been the only reason why they return. For some, the visibility that a tournament like the World Cup can give them is also very important, especially players like Alexia Putellas, who missed the Euros due to injury, or Aitana Bonmatí, a clear candidate for the Ballon d’Or.
Another group of internationals, on the other hand, considers that what has been done is not enough and they remain firm in their position of continuing to be non-callable. In addition to Blaugrana players Patri Guijarro, Claudia Pina and Mapi León, this group also includes goalkeeper Lola Gallardo and, according to Relevo, Basque footballers Nerea Eizagirre, Amaiur Sarriegi and Ainhoa ??Vicente Moraza. On the other hand, Sandra Paños, Leila Ouahabi, Laia Aleixandri, Lucía García and Andrea Pereira would have sent an email asking to return and Vilda has left them off the list.
The main unknown now will be to see how the internationals who have carried the weight of the selection during these months receive the return of these four indisputable starters. An aspect that worries the selector, even though in a press conference yesterday he was confident: “I am convinced that there will be concord, calm and harmony. They are professionals and the common goal, to fight for the World Cup, is huge”.
