MOSCOW, September 18 – The management and staff of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) will file a complaint “for coercion and defamation” against the women’s national team players, who are demanding their resignation as a condition of continuing to play with the team, El Espanol reports.

Earlier, the football players sent a statement to the RFEF, in which they noted that the personnel decisions made – the resignation of Luis Rubiales from the post of head of the RFEF – were not enough. They are calling for a restructuring of the presidential cabinet, communications and marketing, and RFEF’s integrity office. In August, the players of the Spanish national team already made a statement, then they refused to play for the national team if the leadership of the RFEF remained in the same composition.

According to the source, the interim president of the federation, Pedro Rocha, gave the players until Monday in an ultimatum to refuse their boycott of international matches.

During the awards ceremony for the winners of the Women’s World Cup, which took place in Australia and New Zealand, Rubiales hugged and kissed national team player Jennifer Hermoso on the lips. Many journalists and fans called his actions excessive. The head of the RFEF apologized for his behavior, but the federation convened an extraordinary assembly, during which Rubiales said that he would not resign and was ready to defend himself in court. The FIFA Disciplinary Committee has temporarily suspended Rubiales from all football-related activities. On Sunday it became known that the Spaniard left the post of president of the organization. The RFEF confirmed his resignation. On Monday, Spain’s National Court opened criminal proceedings against Rubiales.