CORDOVA, SPAIN (AFP) – Spain forward Mariona Caldentey said on Monday she hopes the women’s team can compete at the Olympic Games next year, as long as it is under “the conditions we think we deserve”.
A players’ strike threatened to derail the team’s hopes of reaching the Paris Games in 2024, after disgraced former president of the Spanish football federation Luis Rubiales, kissed a player following La Roja’s Women’s World Cup triumph in August.
Rubiales resigned from his post earlier in September after unprecedented outrage but many players called up for Nations League games remained on strike, demanding further changes within the federation, until a deal was struck last week between the two sides and the Spanish government.
The former federation chief is facing sexual assault charges after his kiss on the lips of midfielder Jenni Hermoso, who was not included in the squad.
“We want things to keep advancing, to keep improving, we’ll keep fighting for the same thing,” Caldentey told a news conference. “We don’t want what happened to repeat, these have been very hard days with a lot of stress, we want to win… and be at the Olympic Games, but in the conditions we think we deserve.
“The federation, the CSD (Spain’s sports council) and the players have pledged to make these changes to keep advancing, we hope it all comes off, that we’re on a calmer path and we can keep enjoying football.”
