Madrid, September 5
Spain’s coach for the women’s World Cup-winning team, Jorge Vilda, has been fired, the country’s football federation (RFEF) announced on Tuesday. This decision comes 10 days after FIFA suspended the president of the federation for kissing national team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth.
A new group of people took over after the suspension of RFEF President Luis Rubiales by FIFA, the organization that oversees soccer worldwide. They ended Vilda’s agreement because of a kiss that happened without the other person’s agreement during a celebration after winning the World Cup two weeks ago.
The statement thanked Vilda for his great achievements in women’s football, but did not say why he was dismissed or mention any names or scandals. The statement mentioned that Vilda played a crucial role in the growth of women’s football, and mentioned that Spain is now the world champions and second in the FIFA rankings.
The controversy with Rubiales has turned into a big national argument about women’s rights and being sexist.
In another statement, the temporary president Pedro Rocha said sorry for Rubiales’ improper behavior. The three-page statement, signed by Rocha, mentioned how big the harm was to Spanish football, Spanish sports, Spanish society, and the principles of football and sports in general.
Vilda, a friend of Rubiales, has been heavily criticized since last year when 15 players rebelled against him. They wanted him to resign because they think his coaching methods are not good enough and they want better conditions like the men’s team.
Most of the players who were part of the team got removed, even though some of their requests were fulfilled.
Danae Boronat, a person who talks about sports on TV, interviewed the best women players in Spain for her book “Don’t Call Them Girls, Call Them Footballers”. She said the players accused Vilda of controlling too much, like telling older players what to say in interviews.
Vilda was not available to comment right away. Rubiales did not reply right away when asked for a comment.
Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the manager of the men’s national team, praised Rubiales for not quitting on August. He was 25 years old, but he later made statements criticizing his actions.
Rubiales said that Vilda did a great job winning the World Cup, and he wants to give him a new contract for four years. He will also pay Vilda more money each year, increasing his salary from 160,000 euros to 500,000 euros.
A group of 58 skilled female soccer players from Spain announced that they refuse to participate in matches for the national team as long as the current leaders are in charge. According to a source from RFEF, players are now being asked if removing Vilda would make a difference. Reuters is a news organization.