Spain’s World Cup-winning players reach agreement to end boycott

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FILE PHOTO:Soccer Football – FIFA Women’s World Cup Australia and New Zealand 2023 – Spain arrive in Madrid after winning the Final – Madrid, Spain – August 22, 2023 Spain’s Jennifer Hermoso and teammates celebrate with the FIFA Women’s World Cup trophy REUTERS/Juan Medina/File Photo

OLIVA, Spain (Reuters) – Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s squad have agreed to end their boycott after the country’s football federation (RFEF) said it would make “immediate and profound changes” to its structure, the government and players’ union said early on Wednesday.

The decision was reached around 5 a.m. after more than seven hours of meetings at a hotel in Oliva, one hour from Valencia, involving the players, RFEF officials, Spain’s National Sports Council (CSD) and the women’s players’ union FUTPRO.

“A joint commission will be created between RFEF, CSD and players to follow up on the agreements, which will be signed tomorrow,” CSD President Victor Francos told reporters.

“The players have expressed their concern about the need for profound changes in the RFEF, which has committed to making these changes immediately.”

Neither Francos nor Rafael del Amo, president of the national committee for women’s football, would elaborate on the changes to be made, only saying they would be announced “soon”.