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The polarising coach of Spain’s World Cup-winning women’s football team has been fired, less than three weeks after the victory celebration that led to the suspension of the country’s federation president for kissing a player.
The Spanish federation (RFEF) offered no immediate explanation for the dismissal and mostly praised the outgoing Jorge Vilda, saying he was “key to the notable growth of women’s football”.
Vilda was among those who applauded RFEF president Luis Rubiales when he refused to resign despite facing widespread criticism for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the title celebrations last month in Sydney.
One of Vilda’s assistant coaches, Montse Tome, was appointed to replace him. She will be the first woman to hold the job.
Rubiales, who also grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture after the final game, has been provisionally suspended by the sport’s world governing body FIFA and faces a Spanish government case against him for the conduct that prompted a storm of criticism and led to widespread calls for his resignation.
He has pledged to prove his innocence and return to full control of the federation.
Luis Rubiales and Jorge Vilda celebrate the World Cup triumph. Credit: Getty
Vilda, who later described Rubiales’ behaviour as improper, had been at the helm of the women’s team since 2015.
Less than a year ago, some players rebelled against him in a crisis that put his job in jeopardy.
Fifteen players stepped away from the national team, citing their mental health, and demanded a more professional environment. Only three returned to the squad that won the World Cup.
The players who left signed a letter complaining about Vilda and the conditions for the national team.
The 41-year-old Tome is a former national team player who joined Vilda’s staff in 2018 after coaching some of Spain’s youth squads.
In a statement announcing the firing, the federation expressed gratitude to Vilda “for the services provided, for his professionalism and his dedication during all these years”.
He “leaves the federation with an extraordinary sporting legacy,” the statement said.
The president currently in charge of the Spanish federation, Pedro Rocha, released a letter on Tuesday apologising for Rubiales’ behaviour.
Rocha said the federation had the responsibility to ask for “the most sincere apologies to the football world as a whole”, especially to fans and players of the women’s national team, “for the totally unacceptable behaviour of its highest representative”.
Spain’s men’s national team on Monday condemned Rubiales’ “unacceptable behaviour” in a show of support for their female counterparts.
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