Spain’s women’s team coach Jorge Vilda has been fired, announced the football federation (RFEF) on Tuesday. This decision comes just 10 days after FIFA suspended RFEF’s president for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso during the celebration of Spain’s World Cup victory.
Vilda has been replaced by his assistant, Montse Tome, who now becomes the first woman to lead the women’s national team. Since 2018, Tome has been an assistant coach to Vilda and has played a crucial role in the team’s progress, according to the RFEF.
The new board, formed after RFEF President Luis Rubiales’ suspension by FIFA, terminated Vilda’s contract. No specific reason was given for his dismissal, and the statement did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales, or the scandal.
The RFEF, in a statement, expressed gratitude to Vilda for his “extraordinary sporting legacy,” without providing further details about his dismissal or mentioning the scandal involving Hermoso, Rubiales, or the RFEF president.
“The coach has played a vital role in the remarkable growth of women’s football, leading Spain to become world champions and second in the FIFA rankings,” the RFEF statement acknowledged.
The controversy surrounding Rubiales’ behavior has sparked a national debate on women’s rights and sexism.
In a separate statement, interim President Pedro Rocha apologized for Rubiales’ “inappropriate conduct.”
“The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society, and the values of football and sport as a whole have been enormous,” stated a three-page document signed by Rocha.
Vilda, who was considered a close ally of Rubiales, faced criticism since last year when 15 players staged a revolt, demanding his resignation due to inadequate coaching methods and better conditions equal to those of the men’s squad.
Most of the players involved were cut from the squad, although some of their demands were met.
According to sports presenter Danae Boronat, who interviewed Spain’s leading female players for her book “Don’t Call Them Girls, Call Them Footballers,” the players accused Vilda of micromanaging. They claimed that he instructed senior players on what to say during interviews.
Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the men’s national team manager, initially supported Rubiales when he refused to resign on August 25. However, they later issued statements condemning his behavior.
Rubiales had praised Vilda for the World Cup victory and offered him a new four-year contract with an increased salary of 500,000 euros ($536,000) annually, up from 160,000 euros.
The top 58 female players in Spain announced that they would not play for the national team under the current leadership. According to an RFEF source, players are being consulted to determine if the removal of Vilda will change their stance.
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