Despite the departure of the RFEF’s president due to the Women’s World Cup kiss scandal, Jenni Hermoso claimed that the decision to call up players who are boycotting the Spanish women’s team was evidence that “nothing has changed” at the federation.

Earlier on Monday, after the majority of Spain’s World Cup-winning team was chosen for upcoming matches, the players declared they would extend their boycott, which started after Luis Rubiales kissed Hermoso on the lips during the trophy presentation ceremony in Australia.

Under Spain’s Sports Act, if the athletes reject the call-up, they might be subject to fines of up to 30,000 euros ($32,000) and a suspension of their federation licence for two to 15 years.

Read Also:Spain Coach Tome Leave Hermoso From Her Squad To Protect Her

The president of Spain’s national sports agency, Victor Francos, said on the radio that “the government must apply the law” if the athletes did not show up.

The players were “caught off guard” by the call-ups, according to Hermoso, who was not selected for the squad, and were compelled to respond to “another unfortunate situation caused by the people who continue to make decision within the RFEF.”

“The players are certain that this is yet another strategy of division and manipulation to intimidate and threaten us with legal repercussion and economic sanctions,” the 33-year-old striker said in a statement posted on X social media.

“It is yet more irrefutable proof that shows that even today, nothing has changed.”

A request for comment made outside of regular business hours did not immediately receive a response from the RFEF.

The federation stated in a statement early on Monday that it was convinced “structural changes” were necessary and that it was necessary to identify who was in charge of the actions the players had exposed.

Hermoso was allegedly kept off the team because of the extensive media coverage she had received during the previous month, according to Montse Tome, who took over for Jorge Vilda as national team coach.

“We stand with Jenni … we believe that the best way to protect her is like this, but we are counting on Jenni,” Tome said.

Hermoso asked who she needed protection from.

“A claim was made today stating that the environment within the federation would be safe for my colleagues to rejoin yet at the press conference it was announced that they were not calling me as a means to protect me,” she said.

“Protect me from what? And from whom?”