Women’s world champions Spain have been plunged into further chaos after players refused call-ups to their latest squad.

Fifteen World Cup winners were included in the squad for the Nations League games against Sweden and Switzerland, despite saying they would boycott international duty.

A group of 81 players, including all 23 members of the World Cup squad, indicated three weeks ago that they would not play for Spain again while Luis Rubiales remained Spanish football federation (RFEF) president as a result of his behaviour at the final.

Rubiales caused a huge controversy after kissing midfielder Jenni Hermoso – who has been left out of the latest squad – on the lips during the medal ceremony following the team’s 1-0 victory over England. Hermoso insists she did not consent to the kiss.

Amid increasing pressure, Rubiales finally resigned from his post last week, but 39 players, including 21 World Cup winners, released a statement on Friday saying that was not enough to trigger their return to national-team duty.

The players said they were not yet “in a safe place” to return and that the problems at the RFEF ran far deeper than Rubiales.

However, despite their pledge to boycott, many were still named in Monday’s squad by new head coach Montse Tome, who said Hermoso had been left out for her own protection.

In response, the players released a statement on Monday night which read: “What was expressed in our statement of September 22, 2023, makes clear and without any option for another interpretation our firm will not to be summoned for justified reasons. These statements are still fully valid.

“During the days following that statement, we want to make it known to the public that nothing different has been transmitted to any member of the RFEF, so we expressly ask that the information transmitted publicly be rigorous.

“As elite professional players and after everything that has happened today, we will study the possible legal consequences to which the RFEF exposes us by putting us on a list from which we had asked not to be called for reasons already explained publicly and in more detail to the RFEF, and with this make the best decision for our future and for our health.

“It does seem relevant to us to point out, in this sense, that the call has not been made in a timely manner, in accordance with article 3.2 of annex one of FIFA’s regulations on the status and transfer of players, so we understand that the RFEF is not in a position to require us to go.”

New head coach Tome said Spain were still “counting on” Hermoso, despite her omission from their first squad since lifting the World Cup.

“We stand with Jenni,” she told a press conference. “We believe that the best way to protect her is like this, but we are counting on Jenni.

“It’s the start of a new phase, the clock is ticking. There is nothing behind us and we really want to connect with these players.”

Rubiales has been banned from going within 200 metres of Hermoso as the national court in Madrid considered a complaint of sexual assault, something the 46-year-old denies.

Tome had been due to name her squad on Friday, but the announcement had to be delayed.

Barcelona’s Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro, who were not included in Spain’s World Cup party after signing a letter protesting against former manager Jorge Vilda, who was sacked during the fallout of Rubiales’ actions, were included in Monday’s squad.

Jamaica Reggae Girl Rebecca Spencer has expressed delight at signing a new contract with Women's National League club Tottenham Hotspurs.

The 31-year-old shot-stopper has been at the club since 2019 when she joined from West Ham.  The much-travelled Spencer who has also had stints at Arsenal, Birmingham, and Chelsea, believes she has settled in nicely at Tottenham where she has made 38 appearances, the most in her career at one club.

“Obviously, I am delighted to have signed a new contract. It was something that was on my mind coming back from the last international break and having that conversation nice and early made it really easy for me to make my decision,” Spencer told the club website.

The player explained that a major part of her decision to re-sign involved her work with head coach Rehanne Skinner.

“When Rehanne spoke to me it was a no-brainer for me. Just the direction the club is going in and the staff and the players and the fans equally have been amazing. They have made it really easy for me and I feel really comfortable and it really feels like a home now being here for three years now,” Spencer said. “Being here for that long it just feels like the right place for me to be.”

Football clubs and players across England will go silent on social media next weekend in response to "ongoing and sustained abuse" players and others connected with the game are subjected to online. 

Teams from the top men's and women's leagues in England will not post to their social media accounts from the afternoon of April 30 through the end of May 3, London time, and players are expected to follow suit. 

An announcement of the boycott came jointly on Saturday from numerous organisations involved in the game, including the Professional Footballers' Association, the Premier League, the Football League, The FA, the Women’s Super League and the Women’s Championship. 

The move follows a February letter to social media companies urging them to take numerous steps to take down online abuse, including quick removal of offensive posts and an improved verification process. 

"While some progress has been made, we reiterate those requests today in an effort to stem the relentless flow of discriminatory messages and ensure that there are real-life consequences for purveyors of online abuse across all platforms," the groups said in a release.

"Boycott action from football in isolation will, of course, not eradicate the scourge of online discriminatory abuse, but it will demonstrate that the game is willing to take voluntary and proactive steps in this continued fight."

The boycott comes on the heels of the popular uprising that led to the collapse of the European Super League earlier this week, and players speaking after Saturday's Premier League games said a move to curb online harassment is overdue.

"The players, we get a lot of abuses online, and it is not normal, we need to fight it, and I think that is a good way to do it," Brighton's Neal Maupay told Sky Sports. 

"It's definitely getting worse. People are crossing the line too many times now, too often, so we need to carry on fighting it and at one point we will get rid of it."