The coach of the Spanish women’s football team, Jorge Vilda, close to Luis Rubiales and whose methods have been criticized by his players, was dismissed from his post on Tuesday, announced the Spanish federation (RFEF). The RFEF said in a statement “to separate from Jorge Vilda as sports director and coach of the national women’s team”.
This dismissal was presented by the federation as “one of the first restructuring measures” following the Rubiales affair which plunged Spanish football into chaos.
A coach already shaken by a rebellion of his players last year
President, now suspended, of the federation, Luis Rubiales provoked international indignation by kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth in surprise after the coronation of La Roja at the World Cup on August 20. Close to Rubiales, Vilda had since been in the hot seat. In protest, the majority of its staff resigned while the 23 world champions announced that they would not play for the selection until the direction of the federation did not change.
The female Roja coach, in office since 2015, had already been shaken last year by an unprecedented rebellion from several of his players who criticized him for his methods and no longer wanted to wear the Roja jersey as long as he remained in team load. He was then supported by Rubiales.
The Spanish Federation “ask forgiveness” from the “world of football”
Shortly before the announcement of the dismissal of Jorge Vilda, the Spanish Football Federation “asked forgiveness” from the “football world and the whole of society” for the “unacceptable” behavior of its president Luis Rubiales. In a letter signed by its interim president Pedro Rocha, the federation “sincerely asks forgiveness from world football as a whole (…) for the totally unacceptable behavior of its highest institutional representative during the final” of the Cup of the women’s world, on August 20 in Sydney.
This behavior “does not at all correspond to the values of the whole of Spanish society, its institutions, its representatives, its athletes and the leaders of Spanish sport”, indicates this letter published by the federation. “The damage caused to Spanish football, to Spanish sport, to Spanish society and to all the values of football and sport” by the attitude of Rubiales “has been enormous”, still laments the federation.
Montsé Tomé replaces Jorge Vilda and becomes the first woman to lead the women’s team
The former FC Barcelona player Montsé Tomé, became Tuesday at 41 the first woman appointed at the head of the Spanish women’s football team, replacing Jorge Vilda, sacked, announced the Spanish Football Federation.
“The Royal Spanish Football Federation has appointed Montsé Tomé as coach of the women’s national team and she will be the first woman to hold this position in Spain,” RFEF wrote in a statement. Tomé, who had been in Jorge Vilda’s staff since 2018, “has established herself as a key player in the progress of the national team”, continues the RFEF.