Dispute Leaves Barcelona Players Out of Women’s World Cup
England’s Lucy Bronze is saddened by the fact that some of her Barcelona team-mates will miss the Women’s World Cup due to a dispute with Spain coach Jorge Vilda. Midfielder Patri Guijarro, defender Mapi Leon, forward Claudia Pina and keeper Sandra Panos will not be able to participate in the tournament. Guijarro scored twice in Barcelona’s Champions League final win against Wolfsburg on 3 June.
Bronze said, “I know that they’re ambitious players. It’s sad that they’re missing out on something that’s a huge moment in any footballer’s career to make a difference. But unfortunately this is women’s football still.”
Fifteen Players Involved in Dispute with Vilda
Barcelona’s Mariona Caldentey and Aitana Bonmati have been recalled for the World Cup. They were among 15 players involved in a dispute with Vilda last September. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) claimed that 15 members of its national team said they would resign if Vilda did not step down. This was denied by the players, but a stand-off ensued amid reports of concern over training methods and inadequate game preparation.
Players Ask to be Considered for Selection Again
Spanish newspaper Marca reported that 12 of the 15 players had asked to be considered for selection again and were no longer in self-imposed exile after agreements with the RFEF had been reached. Bronze said, “I’m really close to all the Spanish girls. It’s a situation where I probably know more than most. Especially because there’s been processes at England that we’ve had to go through to improve things that we get and that we do, and the Spanish girls ask a lot of questions [about that] because obviously we became European champions. There are world-class players who won’t be going to the World Cup because of these reasons.”
Many Teams Around the World Fighting for Equality
Bronze added, “Many teams around the world who face a lot of problems are fighting a fight. I think the Spanish girls have probably got more headlines because it’s world-class players we’re talking about, but there’s many teams around the world – Jamaica is a great example – who are fighting to make their teams better and getting them on a level where they deserve to be.”
Spain’s World Cup Campaign
Spain, who will be appearing at the Women’s World Cup for a third time, start their Group C campaign against Costa Rica in Wellington, New Zealand, on 21 July (08:30 BST). They then play debutants Zambia in Auckland on 26 July (08:30 BST) before tackling 2011 world champions Japan in Wellington on 31 July (08:00 BST).
Conclusion
The dispute between Spain coach Jorge Vilda and 15 members of the national team has caused some of Barcelona’s best players to miss out on the Women’s World Cup. Lucy Bronze is saddened by this situation as she is close with many of the Spanish players and knows how much they wanted to participate in the tournament. While Spain will still have some world-class players in their squad, many teams around the world are fighting for equality and recognition in women’s football. Spain’s World Cup campaign starts on 21 July against Costa Rica in Wellington, New Zealand.