Spain’s World Cup winners could STAY on strike, putting their first match back next week in jeopardy, reveals final goal hero Olga Carmona, even after Luis Rubiales resigned over kiss-gate

• Olga Carmona has left it unclear whether Spain’s players will return from strike
• Luis Rubiales has resigned but the players will talk together about next steps
• Listen to the latest episode of Mail Sport’s podcast It’s All Kicking Off!

Olga Carmona has left it unclear whether Spain’s women’s team will stay on strike, with their next match on September 22. 

The World Cup-winning goalscorer said they will ‘see what happens’, even after the resignation of disgraced former Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales. 

More than 80 Spanish players, including the 23 in the World Cup squad, said they would not play until Rubiales resigned after he kissed Jenni Hermoso on the mouth without her consent after the final triumph. 

Spanish prosecutors filed a sexual assault and coercion lawsuit against Rubiales after Hermoso formally submitted a sexual assault complaint. He could face a prison sentence of up to four years. 

Even after Rubiales’s departure, the future of the national side is up in the air. ‘There have been several changes. We have a new coach, but first of all we have to wait for the next squad and see what happens,’ Hermoso told El Hormiguero, via Football Espana. 

Spain World Cup hero Olga Carmona has left it up in the air as to whether Spain’s women’s players would return from strike for next week’s fixture

Luis Rubiales has resigned as president of the Spanish FA as the players wanted, but it is not clear that this will be enough to bring them back 

‘Rubiales’ resignation is very recent and we will have to talk amongst ourselves and see what happens.

Spain’s next squad is due to be released on Friday by new manager Montse Tome.  

Carmona continued: ‘Really what we want, we have just seen, with the example that we have been world champions. What we want is to continue that line of growth that women’s football is having.

‘We want to be given the conditions, which in this World Cup I believe we have had, and we have been very comfortable because the Federation has bent over backwards, and I think that has also helped us achieve what we have achieved.

‘So we have to continue along that line of growth and improvements to be able to develop our profession at the highest level.’

One of the main criticisms emanating from the players’ camp has been a lack of professionalism. World Cup-winning manager Jorge Vilda, a long-time ally of Rubailes, has been sacked, but clearly they want to see more systemic change.  

Rubiales (right) kissed Hermoso as she collected her medal after Spain beat England in the Women’s World Cup final last month 

The Spanish Football Federation have come in for heavy criticism for their handling of the saga, with it taking around three weeks for Rubiales to leave his post. 

Though they released a statement calling his behaviour ‘totally unacceptable’ and said they were ’embarrassed’, there was initially lots of support for Rubiales when he insisted he would not resign. 

Spain’s men’s team have stood with their female counterparts, criticising the ‘unacceptable behaviour’ of Rubiales.  

As of today, Tuesday, he still protests his innocence, saying he kissed Hermoso in a way he would kiss one of his daughters. 

FIFA are pushing to ban him from football for 15 years. 

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