Shocking Twist: Spain Women's Team Parts Ways with Jorge Vilda amidst RFEF President Controversy
Jorge Vilda sacked as Spain Women's coach amid public backlash and player demands His controversial support for RFEF president Luis Rubiales during a speech added to the untenable situation
The Spanish FA has dismissed Jorge Vilda, the coach who led the Women's World Cup-winning team, due to the controversy surrounding its president Luis Rubiales. Despite Spain's triumphant 1-0 victory over England to secure their first Women's World Cup on August 20, Vilda's association with the suspended Rubiales has now caused repercussions for him.
Stand-in president Pedro Rocha of the Spanish FA pledged a reorganization of the RFEF in a letter released on Tuesday. In the letter, the governing body apologized for the significant harm caused by Rubiales' actions. As a consequence of the ongoing crisis surrounding Rubiales, all 11 of Vilda's support staff have already tendered their resignations. Rubiales was photographed kissing Spain forward Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the on-field celebrations in Sydney.
Vilda faced criticism for supporting Rubiales' controversial remarks in a press conference that followed, where the RFEF president staunchly refused to step down and criticized "phony feminists".
As a result of the speech, all 23 members of Spain's World Cup team declared their refusal to be considered for selection as long as the president remained in office.
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Jorge Vilda, who guided Spain to their inaugural Women's World Cup victory on August 20, has been dismissed. In his speech, Rubiales acknowledged Vilda as the top coach in women's football and guaranteed him a brand new four-year contract worth €500,000 annually.
Vilda issued a statement expressing criticism towards Rubiales, but refrained from directly demanding his resignation or dismissal. The 42-year-old has consistently been a figure of controversy in his position as the head coach of Spain. In September of the previous year, fifteen players wrote a letter to the RFEF, warning of a potential team boycott unless Vilda was fired. Sources indicated that their discontent stemmed from issues related to injury management, the environment within the locker room, team selection, and training sessions.
Rubiales faced opposition when regional FA leaders, led by interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha, met on August 28. Calls were made to remove Vilda as part of a top-level restructure in the federation.
Analysis: Untenable position for Vilda and Spanish national side
We have news from our chief reporter, Kaveh Solhekol:"Our anticipation was for this event to occur last Thursday. Pedro Rocha, the president of the RFEF, made a trip to the south of France to participate in the Champions League draw. His objective was to resolve this matter swiftly, considering that the women's team of Spain has an upcoming Nations League game.
The situation was completely absurd and unsustainable. The entire squad, along with an additional 83 players, expressed their refusal to play under Jorge Vilda or Luis Rubiales.
Furthermore, the entire backroom team resigned collectively. With no players or support staff, it was impossible for him to continue as the head coach of the world champions.
The final straw came when the pictures of Luis Rubiales delivering his speech at the extraordinary assembly were circulated. In the footage, Vilda can be seen applauding Rubiales' words. This moment seemed to solidify the belief among many that it was the end for him.
A few days later, Vilda attempted to backtrack by issuing a statement, claiming that he didn't agree with Rubiales' actions. However, he fell short of demanding Rubiales' resignation. Nevertheless, it comes as no surprise that Vilda has now been dismissed from his job.
From an external perspective, it may seem remarkable that someone who has recently won the World Cup would lose their job. However, there are underlying factors at play, as many players within the Spanish team expressed their discontent with his management. Last year, a significant number of them penned an open letter, stating their refusal to continue playing under his guidance. Surprisingly, the president, Rubiales, chose to support the coach instead of siding with the players. As a consequence, both the head coach and Rubiales are now out of their respective positions.
