Spanish women team’s coach Jorge Vilda, who faced down a player mutiny to steer his team to World Cup glory, is to be sacked in the increasingly acrimonious fallout from a kiss scandal involving his boss, according to a football federation source.
The 42-year-old Vilda cut a sometimes isolated figure in Australia as his squad largely celebrated without him, and has now become caught in the backlash against football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales for kissing a player on the lips.
Rubiales’ kiss of Jenni Hermoso, who has denounced it as unwanted and sexist, came as he handed medals to the World Cup-winning squad in front of millions of viewers worldwide at the closing ceremony in Australia earlier this month.
Vilda backed the now-suspended Rubiales and the RFEF’s new board is planning to terminate his contract after the coach refused a request to resign, the source told Reuters.
The board is also negotiating with women players to end their strike over the Rubiales case, the source said, in a furore that has overshadowed the team’s remarkable run at the World Cup culminating in a 1-0 victory over England.
Rubiales has refused to resign and blamed “false feminists” for demonizing him, but when world governing body FIFA suspended him, regional RFEF chiefs urged him to step down.
Both FIFA and Spanish authorities are investigating him.
Vilda’s tenure as coach since 2015 was called into question last year when 15 players sent letters to the RFEF saying they would no longer play for Spain with him in charge.
The RFEF made some adjustments to working conditions following their complaints but backed Vilda, who took his squad to the World Cup without most of the mutineers.
The board was now working on the legalities of Vilda’s termination and determining a severance package equal to his 160,000 euro ($173,552) annual salary, the source said.
The RFEF, which speaks for Vilda while he remains coach, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment.
At the World Cup, he said the team’s success would not have been possible without RFEF backing for him.
On Thursday, Pedro Rocha, the RFEF’s interim president, said Vilda remained coach for now.
“Once we meet with him, we will give you the pertinent information,” he told reporters.
“We haven’t decided. We have to listen and talk.” Rubiales had praised Vilda for the World Cup win and offered him a fresh, four-year contract with an annual salary of 500,000 euros.
Vilda was among those who most enthusiastically applauded Rubiales’ refusal to resign at an RFEF meeting.
The source said the federation could not be held to Rubiales’ verbal salary offer, and felt it had a “strong argument” if Vilda were to take legal action.
At the weekend, Spain’s top 58 female players said they would not return to play for the national team under the existing leadership.
The RFEF source said players were now being consulted as to whether the removal of Vilda would change that.
The RFEF has also sought the return of Rafael del Amo, president of the national committee for women’s football, who resigned in protest at Rubiales’ refusal to quit.
Del Amo has been nominated to speak to players on the pledge that the RFEF will renew the team’s staff, the source said.
