Us or change: World Cup champions give ultimatum to Spain's soccer federation

Spain's World Cup champions are refusing to return to the national team, saying the ousters of federation president Luis Rubiales and coach Jorge Vilda are not enough to make them safe or reassure them that women will be respected.

New coach Montse Tomé was supposed to announce her team Friday for next week's Nations League, a tournament that will determine which two Europeans teams will join host France in next summer's Paris Olympics. But shortly before the roster release, two-time Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas posted a message on social media signed by 39 players, including all but two members of the team that won Spain's first World Cup title last month.

One of those players who didn't sign the letter, Claudia Zornoza, recently announced her retirement.

The players are asking for the current president of Spain's federation to resign, as well as a restructuring of the federation's cabinet, its women's program and its communications and marketing department.

"The women's national team players are professional, and there is nothing that makes us prouder than wearing our uniforms and representing our country in the best way possible," the players wrote.

"With this said, we believe this is the right time to fight against these kinds of behaviors that will be allowed neither in (soccer) nor in our society. And that the current (women's team) organizational chart needs to change in order to make it into a place that is safe and equal for future generations where players can be treated the way they deserve." 

Rubiales sparked a nationwide reckoning in Spain about how women are seen and treated after he grabbed and kissed Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the World Cup victory ceremony. Hermoso, Spain's all-time leading scorer, said afterward she felt as if she'd been assaulted, saying, "what happened was sexist, impulsive, out of place, and non-consensual.”

FALLOUT:Spain's soccer chief Luis Rubiales resigns two weeks after insisting he wouldn't step down

Rubiales resigned Sunday after becoming a pariah in Spanish football and is currently the subject of a criminal investigation. But Spain's problems began long before the World Cup final.

Last September, 15 players went to the federation to express concerns about Vilda and his heavy handedness. They complained of being overworked, not having proper support services during training camps and having their bags and rooms checked.

Rather than considering the players' request, the federation backed Vilda and said the players would not be allowed back on the national team unless they were willing to “accept their mistake and ask for forgiveness.” When some players said they wanted to come back to the national team, Vilda used the World Cup roster to exact his revenge, taking only three of the 15 to Australia and New Zealand.

Putellas and Hermoso, who did not sign the letter but expressed support for their 15 teammates, were also on the World Cup team.

After the World Cup, the players said they would boycott the national team "until the team's leaders resign." While that was widely considered to be Rubiales and Vilda, who was fired early last week, there were indications of problems elsewhere in the federation.

Rubiales was given a rousing ovation when he defiantly refused to resign last month. The federation then put out several posts on social media disparaging Hermoso and trying to portray her as the initiator of the kiss, despite volumes of evidence to the contrary.

The Athletic also reported the federation tried to water down criticism of Rubiales in the statement made by the men's team in support of the women.

"The changes requested to the (federation) are based on a zero-tolerance policy toward any member of the (federation) who has at any point engaged, instigated, celebrated, and/or hidden any behavior attempting to attack women’s dignity," the women's players wrote Friday. "We firmly believe that radical changes need to happen to the structure of the (federation) and its leaders. We believe all these people should be away and banned from the place that is supposed to protect us."

While Spain has arguably the deepest pipeline in the world, the impact of the boycott will be felt immediately. Spain opens Nations League play next Friday against top-ranked Sweden in a rematch of the World Cup semifinal. Only the group-stage winners will advance to the Nations League semifinals, and it's the winners of those games that will qualify for the Paris Olympics.