Venezuelan soccer players threaten to quit national team
CARACAS, Venezuela (AP) Fifteen players from Venezuela's national team are threatening to quit unless the country's top soccer officials resign.
In an open letter Monday, the players said they won't continue playing under the soccer federation's scandal-tainted leadership and accuse interim federation president Laureano Gonzalez of mistreatment and slander because of recent allegations that several players are conspiring to oust coach Noel Sanvicente.
''We accept criticism of our performances and as a team take responsibility for the results but in no way do we accept that we were preparing a movement to get the national coach out,'' said the statement, which was released on a social media. ''We are upset and disillusioned by the lack of support from the national team's coaching staff over these accusations.''
Signatories include Genoa midfielder Tomas Rincon and West Bromwich Albion striker Salomon Rondon.
The soccer federation has so far not commented. Gonzalez took over as head of the federation after longtime president Rafael Esquivel was arrested in Switzerland in May as part of the U.S. and Swiss investigations into corruption at FIFA. In September, Switzerland agreed to extradite him to the United States.
Despite progress in recent years under former coach Cesar Farias, Venezuela has lost four straight matches against South American rivals in the start of its campaign to qualify for what would be its first ever World Cup.
Mounting tensions in the national squad were evident following recent loss to Ecuador when Sanvicente accused his players of a lack of commitment and a sense of entitlement.
