Natalia de Pablos: "We are united and we will go to the end"

Natalia de Pablos, forward for the Spanish national football team, stated that the twenty-three players who have participated in the World Cup in Canada and who have issued a statement denouncing the shortcomings in preparation and demanding a change are "united" and will go "to the end" with their demands.

"The team has issued a statement that the 23 players have signed. We know the uproar it has caused and we'll see what happens. We spoke with coach Ignacio Quereda before doing it and communicated our thoughts and feelings", confessed Natalia, at terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas-Adolfo Suárez Airport.

The Arsenal forward assured that they don't know anything about how the statement has affected the Royal Spanish Football Federation and regretted that this situation tarnishes the work they have done during the World Cup in Canada.

"We know that things are unsettled, we have explained what we think and we'll see what comes up. We don't know anything else. Basically, all we have to say is that what we did in the World Cup has been somewhat tarnished, this group has done a great job and the twenty-three of us are united and will go to the end," concluded Natalia.

Ainhoa Tirapu: "It's the end of a cycle and we believe it's time for something different"

Ainhoa Tirapu, goalkeeper for the Spanish national football team

declared that after this last World Cup in Canada, in which they failed to qualify for the second stage, the players believe that "it's the end of a cycle and it's time for something different", referring to the continuity of coach Ignacio Quereda and the coaching staff.

"What we want to express and what the twenty-three of us feel is quite clear. We believe this stage has ended and it's the end of a cycle. We have been here for a long time and we believe a change would be good", confessed Ainhoa, during her appearance at terminal 2 of Madrid Barajas-Adolfo Suárez Airport.

"We went to the World Cup with a lot of excitement and we tried to do our part. We have to be self-critical because we didn't do everything right, but we believe there are things beyond our control that could have been improved," confessed Ainhoa.

"Playing friendlies would have been very beneficial for us. There were players who hadn't competed for a month when we made our debut against Costa Rica, and that's an important point, as well as acclimation," pointed out Ainhoa, who declared that "the way of working has been more or less the same" in this World Cup as in previous ones.

One of the changes that the players demand for a new stage resides in the change of the coaching staff, with coach Ignacio Quereda at the helm, who has said he won't resign.

"It's not a specific issue of resignation, it's about a situation that we want to improve. If we do this, it's because we believe it will be better for women's football. It's the end of a cycle and we believe it's time for something different. We believe it's the right moment and it's the way to express our feelings because we are united," concluded Ainhoa.