In the midst of the continuing Luis Rubiales scandal, Spain’s Women’s World Cup-winning head coach, Jorge Vilda, has been fired.
Spain’s victory was overshadowed by Rubiales, the president of the country’s football organization, kissing forward Jenni Hermoso, which she said was not consensual.
https://kol.jumia.com/s/Ee596j0
In the aftermath, the majority of Vilda’s coaching staff quit, and 81 players declined to play for Spain. Rubiales has refused to resign, but Fifa, football’s world governing body, has suspended him indefinitely.
The Spanish Football Association, the RFEF, issued a statement in which it stated that Vilda had been ”a promoter of the values of respect and sportsmanship in football”
However, the RFEF has been considering whether to fire Vilda, a close supporter of Rubiales, since last week.
He was seen applauding Rubiales at the RFEF’s extraordinary general meeting earlier this month when Rubiales repeatedly stated that he would not resign and would offer Vilda a new contract, though he has subsequently criticized his behaviour.
Vilda, who had been in charge of the national team since 2015, survived a player revolt in September 2022, when the RFEF issued a statement revealing that 15 players had sent identical emails saying they would not play for Vilda unless “significant” concerns about their “emotional state” and “health” were addressed.
The ‘Las 15′ – as the players became known – refuted rumors that they had urged Vilda, who has always maintained Rubiales’ support, to be fired, but tensions rose amid reports of concerns about training techniques and insufficient game preparation.
Only three of those 15 returned to the squad when Spain defeated England in the World Cup final in Sydney last month
