Only six of the 23 called up to the Spanish women’s national team were concentrated in Madrid.

Spain’s women’s national football team, shrouded in controversy after winning the World Cup title, began preparations for Nations League games on Tuesday, with six of the 23 players called up to gather in Madrid.

From the capital, players playing for Real Madrid and Atlético Madrid, as well as technical staff, will head to Valencia, where preparatory training for the matches with Sweden and Switzerland will take place.

On Monday, shortly after new selector Monse Thomé included 15 world champions in the squad (after 21 of the 23 resigned), the players responded with a statement.

In the document, the national team players confirmed their “desire not to be called up for valid reasons” to the national team, thereby rejecting the call of Montse Toma, as a result of which Jenny Hermoso was not included in the list.

The absence of the player, who was at the center of the scandal that began with a kiss from the then president of the federation, Luis Rubiales, was explained by the selector as the need to “protect the captain of the team that won the World Cup from media noise.” “.

Hermoso, who had already joined her team in Mexico, responded to the coach with a question: “What do you want to protect me from?”

At the political level, the Minister of Culture and Sports, Miguel Iseta, guaranteed that the government “will not be a passive spectator” in the conflict that pits players against the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), and assured that the President of the Supreme Sports Council (CSD) will be personally involved in the dispute .

“The RFEF is doing many things wrong, I believe it is clear, I believe that the call is an anomaly and that the mistakes must be corrected if we are truly to restore the path of success that had its greatest moment in Sydney.” , – said the minister.

According to Marca newspaper, CSD president Victor Francos will meet with players’ representatives on Tuesday.

The Spanish team will focus on Oliva, Valencia, to prepare for their Nations League campaign qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics against Sweden in Gothenburg on Wednesday before hosting Switzerland in Cordoba on September 26.

Since winning the World Cup title on August 20, the Spanish team has endured turbulent moments sparked by a kiss on the lips given to player Jenny Hermoso by then RFEF president Luis Rubiales during victory celebrations at Sydney Stadium.

Jeni Hermoso said the kiss was not consensual, contrary to claims by Rubiales, who is now the subject of disciplinary proceedings by the Spanish Administrative Court for Sports and FIFA.

The player, in turn, filed a lawsuit alleging sexual assault by Rubiales, who initially refused to resign but eventually resigned from his position.

A few days after the World Cup final, more than 80 Spanish football players issued a statement of solidarity with Jenny Hermoso and said they would refuse to play for the Spanish national team unless changes were made in the federation.

In addition to Rubiales’ departure, the federation fired women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda and replaced him with Montse Thome, who was the coach’s “number two.”