Exclusive: Spanish FA in Turmoil as Fate of World Cup-Winning Manager Hangs in the Balance
Jorge Vilda, the coach of Spain's Women's World Cup-winning team, faces uncertainty as the Spanish FA considers his future amidst a national crisis Last year, 15 national team players expressed their refusal to play for Spain as long as Vilda remained in charge The situation has led to calls for the resignation of Spanish football chiefs, while Vilda himself has criticized their behavior
The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is contemplating the termination of Jorge Vilda's position, a mere nine days after his successful leadership in leading the Spanish national women's team to victory in the Women's World Cup.
Pedro Rocha, the acting president of RFEF, is anticipated to announce his verdict on Vilda's future no later than Wednesday.
Vilda's controversial speech at the RFEF extraordinary assembly on Friday received applause from Luis Rubiales.
Rubiales, during his address, directly recognized Vilda as the top coach in women's football and extended a new four-year contract worth €500,000 annually to him.
Vilda issued a statement on Saturday criticizing Rubiales, but refrained from explicitly demanding his resignation or removal. On Friday, the Spanish team declared their refusal to participate for the national side until there was a change in leadership within the federation.
On Saturday, the entirety of Vilda's backroom team, consisting of eleven members, submitted their resignations, leaving the head coach with no players or coaches.
Next month, the world champions are scheduled to play Nations League matches against Sweden and Switzerland.
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Vilda's previous tenure came under scrutiny, while Luis de la Fuente's position as the men's head coach seems more secure, despite his support for Rubiales' speech. On Saturday, he issued a statement denouncing the suspended president.
De la Fuente is set to announce his squad on Friday for the upcoming Euro qualifiers against Georgia and Cyprus.
Vilda has been a controversial figure as the women's team's head coach. Last year, 15 players voiced their refusal to play under him again, citing concerns regarding their well-being and emotional state. Consequently, twelve of them were absent during the World Cup.
Spanish football chiefs call for Rubiales to resign
Luis Rubiales remains firm as he defiantly rejects calls to step down as president of the Spanish FA. This follows his controversial act of kissing Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the Women's World Cup final celebrations on Sunday.
The regional presidents of the Spanish Football Association have urged Luis Rubiales to step down immediately.
Rubiales has faced extensive backlash for kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips after their 1-0 World Cup final victory against England eight days ago.
The statement from the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) says that following a meeting of the Commission of Presidents of Regional and Territorial Federations, unanimous agreements have been reached. In light of recent events and unacceptable behaviors that have seriously harmed the image of Spanish football, the presidents are requesting the immediate resignation of Mr. Luis Rubiales as the president of the RFEF.
Congratulations to the women's soccer team on their triumphant win in the World Cup. We deeply appreciate the significance and lasting impact that this success has on Spanish sports. We sincerely admire and appreciate the exceptional group of players and extend our congratulations to all those who have contributed to the continued growth and development of women's football over the years.
Furthermore, we firmly believe that it is crucial to initiate a thorough and immediate organizational restructuring within the appropriate entities of the Federation. This will pave the way for a new era of management in Spanish football, aiming to drive positive change and progress.
Following the suspension of Mr. Luis Rubiales by FIFA, the Federation's internal protocols have been initiated.
Furthermore, we have requested President Pedro Rocha to promptly retract the recent communication made by the Federation to FIFA and UEFA, which came to our attention on Monday.
The RFEF remains committed to investing in and promoting equality policies for the advancement of women's football.
Finally, the Presidents' Commission unanimously supports Mr. Pedro Rocha to spearhead a new era focused on open dialogue and reconciliation with all football institutions. We are ready to collaborate with the CSD and other involved institutions to jointly develop the bid for the 2030 World Cup.
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Luis Rubiales drew extensive backlash for kissing Jenni Hermoso following Spain's victory at the Women's World Cup. In a statement released on Friday, Hermoso expressed her vulnerability and stated that she had been subjected to an unsolicited, sexist, and inappropriate act without her consent.
Instead of resigning from his position as Spanish FA president on Friday as anticipated, Rubiales surprised everyone with a forceful address, alleging that he was being targetted unjustly by "false feminists". Consequently, the Spanish FA convened an "extraordinary and urgent" meeting on Monday to assess the current state of the federation.
Rubiales faces suspension from FIFA, while the Spanish FA's plea for UEFA to suspend the federation has been dismissed. The Spanish FA alleged that the interference of the Spanish government in its affairs led to this request denial. Adding to the bizarre situation, Rubiales' mother, Angeles Bejar, found herself locking herself in a church in Motril on Monday morning. She has resorted to a hunger strike, protesting against what she believes to be an unjust persecution of her son.
Spain prosecutors have initiated a preliminary inquiry against Rubiales, as they believe that his act of kissing Hermoso could potentially be considered a "sexual assault" crime. The National Court's Prosecutors' Office had received six complaints and had been awaiting one from the player before commencing the investigation.
Spain boss Vilda condemns Rubiales behaviour
The aftermath of the incident has resulted in a collective resignation of the coaching staff of the Spain women's team, except for head coach Jorge Vilda.However, the World Cup-winning manager of Spain has recently voiced his opinion on the matter and denounced the suspended Rubiales, referring to the kiss as "inappropriate and unacceptable".
Spain's assistant managers, Montse Tome, Javier Lerga, and Eugenio Gonzalo Martin, have chosen to step down from their roles. Additionally, physiotherapist Blanca Romero Moraleda, goalkeeper coach Carlos Sanchez, and several others at various age-group levels have also submitted their resignations.
Last week, Jorge Ivan Palacio, the chairman of the FIFA disciplinary committee, issued a directive to Rubiales and the Spanish FA, instructing them not to contact or attempt to communicate with Hermoso, whether it be through direct means or intermediaries. Hermoso has levied allegations against the Spanish FA, denouncing their manipulative, hostile, and controlling culture. This sentiment was echoed by 81 players who signed a letter declaring their refusal to accept national team call-ups as long as Rubiales retains his position.
Despite being only a few meters away from Spain's Queen Letizia and her teenage daughter in the stadium's VIP area, Rubiales celebrated by grabbing his crotch. He did apologize for his behavior in the VIP section, but during his speech on Friday, he emphasized that he had been the victim of a "social assassination" and firmly declared "I will not resign." These words were met with applause from the delegates gathered at the Spanish FA's extraordinary general assembly.
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Luis Rubiales alleged that he is being unfairly targeted by "misguided feminists," as he steadfastly refused to step down from his position as president of the Spanish FA. This comes after he kissed Jenni Hermoso following Spain's victory in the Women's World Cup final.
Rubiales defended the incident, describing it as "spontaneous, mutual, euphoric, and consensual." However, Hermoso, who had previously denied making comments that minimized the incident, retaliated by criticizing the entire organization.
"I am not in a position to assess communication and integrity practices, however, I firmly believe that as the reigning world champion national team, we should not be subject to a manipulative, hostile, and controlling culture," she expressed in her written statement.
"I would like to reaffirm my stance, which I have maintained since the very beginning, that I am under no obligation to support the individual who has forced this action upon me against my consent and without showing me the respect I deserve, especially during such a significant moment in my personal journey and for women's sports as a whole."
