Jorge Vilda's Surprising Victory: A Turning Point for Women's Football?

Less than a year has passed since 15 players declined to play under the leadership of head coach Jorge Vilda. Today, Spain has successfully reached their inaugural Women's World Cup final. However, the question arises: does this signify a setback for women's football? In September 2022, the Spain Women's national team faced turmoil when 15 players expressed their unavailability for selection while Vilda retained his position as coach.

Every player, including Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati and Patri Guijarro, sent an identical email to the Spanish Federation (RFEF) outlining the adverse effects of Vilda's methods on their health and emotional well-being. However, despite the significant number and gravity of the complaints, no internal investigation was proposed.

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Calls for Jorge Vilda's resignation have intensified following the public revelation of players' concerns in September 2022. However, instead of stepping down, the federation has insisted that the players can only rejoin the national team if they acknowledge their mistake and offer an apology.

The players' actions were deemed "scheming" by the RFEF, and they warned of potential international suspensions ranging from two to five years. Additionally, the RFEF asserted that the players would not be permitted to challenge the ongoing tenure of the national coach and his coaching staff, emphasizing that such decisions were beyond their authority.

Twelve of those 15 players remain frozen out of the squad, with only Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle appearing at this Women's World Cup.

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Barcelona star Aitana Bonmati has been allowed back into the Spain squad after apologising to head coach Jorge Vilda

Fourteen years of Vilda

He initially started his coaching journey with the U17s in 2009 and later took charge of the U19s in 2014. In 2015, he was promoted to the position of head coach for the first-team.

Despite having talented players, such as Alexia Putellas, who won the Ballon d'Or, the team has been underperforming so far. Their best result so far was at Euro 2017, where La Roja was eliminated in the quarter-finals.

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Spain's Alexia Putellas is considered one of the best female players in the world

After being eliminated by England in the Euro quarter-finals last summer, Putellas, Irene Paredes, and Patri Guijarro reportedly filed a formal complaint to the federation. The complaint addressed various issues such as subpar training sessions, inadequate match analysis, insufficient rest, and lack of player privacy. However, when their complaint was not acknowledged, the 15 players decided to unite and demand change.

Vilda stated during a press conference in September 2022 that he never contemplated resigning. He expressed his dissatisfaction by saying, "I wouldn't want anyone to experience this." The players' messages, both in person and in their statements, lacked clarity, leading to doubts. This lack of transparency has given rise to the belief that there must be some non-sporting factor involved, which is understandable as none of it adds up otherwise.

"I summon all the players whom I have collaborated with in the past - the captains have praised the unparalleled treatment - to publicly confirm whether there has ever been a disregard or any grievances regarding my conduct throughout my entire career. Certain individuals have hurled accusations and subsequently concealed themselves."

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Head coach Jorge Vilda celebrates with RFEF president Luis Rubiales

Both Vilda and his father voted for Luis Rubiales to become RFEF president in 2018.

"The support of [RFEF president] Luis Rubiales and everyone at the federation means so much," said Vilda.

Rubiales has been embroiled in several scandals, with accusations against the president ranging from misappropriation of federation funds for personal gain to corrupt practices surrounding the relocation of the Spanish Supercup to Saudi Arabia. Rubiales, however, vehemently denies these allegations.

Winning despite the chaos

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Spain's semi-final victory over Sweden was kick-started by Salma Paralluelo's impressive strike. The 19-year-old prodigy, who holds the distinction of being the youngest female player to represent Spain in a World Cup, has firmly established herself as a game-changer for La Roja. Paralluelo not only clinched the decisive goal in extra-time against the Netherlands but also ignited Spain's stunning triumph in the semi-final by effectively getting the scoreboard ticking with an early goal.

Putellas was seen shining Paralluelo's boots after the game, symbolizing a passing of the torch. Her two goals in key moments for Spain offer a glimpse into the promising future. This blend of youthful creativity, along with the presence of established stars Putellas and Bonmati, has been the foundation of Spanish success.

Despite this, tensions between Vilda, the Spain coaching staff, and the players are still evident as they are often left out of post-match celebrations. The struggle for respect among female footballers has been a persistent theme leading up to the World Cup. This includes demands for equal funding compared to their male counterparts, recognition for their accomplishments, and respect from coaching staff.

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Jamaica were forced to self-fund their way to this Women's World Cup

England play Spain in the final on Sunday in a history-making moment for both teams.

Spain have already achieved so much at this tournament, but if they go the final step this weekend what is the message to the Spanish federation? Is it that they were justified in sticking with their man - not the 15 women - or that the team defied the chaos and emerged victorious?

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