Luis Rubiales fallout live: Spanish manager Jorge Vilda hits out at ‘unfair’ sacking after winning World Cup
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Luis Rubiales is fighting to clear his name and remain in his job as president of the Spanish FA (Rfef) amid increasing pressure and criticism after his conduct across the Women’s World Cup final.
After kissing Spain’ Jenni Hermoso, with the player insisting it was without consent and not welcomed, the fallout has seen the Spanish federation widely criticised for their lack of immediate response and Rubiales’ insistence he is in the right.
Meanwhile, manager of the women’s team Jorge Vilda has been sacked, adding a further layer to the ongoing discussion and subsequent changes at the head of the federation. Follow all the latest updates regarding Spain’s women’s team, Rubiales and Vilda below.
Luis Rubiales latest news and updates
Spain’s women’s team coach Jorge Vilda has been sacked, the football federation (RFEF) said on Tuesday, 10 days after FIFA suspended RFEF’s president for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth in celebration of Spain’s World Cup victory.
Vilda was replaced by his assistant, Montse Tome, who becomes the first woman to helm the women’s national team. She had been Vilda’s assistant coach since 2018 and has since “established herself as a key player in the national team’s growth”, the RFEF said in a statement.
A new board formed after RFEF President Luis Rubiales‘ suspension by soccer’s world governing body over the allegedly non-consensual kiss during the World Cup victory celebration two weeks ago terminated Vilda’s contract.
In a statement that gave no reason for his dismissal and did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales or the scandal, RFEF thanked 42-year-old Vilda for his “extraordinary sporting legacy”.
“The coach has been key to the remarkable growth of women’s football and leaves Spain as world champions and second in the FIFA rankings,” the RFEF statement said.
The furore involving Rubiales has quickly spiralled into a national debate over women’s rights and sexist behaviour.
In a separate statement by interim President Pedro Rocha, the RFEF apologised 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,” the three-page statement signed by Rocha said.
Vilda, considered a close ally of Rubiales, had been under fire since last year after 15 players staged a mutiny calling for his resignation because of inadequate coaching methods and calling for conditions to match those of the men’s squad.
Most of the players involved were cut from the squad even as some demands were met.
Danae Boronat, a sports presenter who interviewed Spain’s leading female players for her book “Don’t Call Them Girls, Call Them Footballers”, said players accused Vilda of micromanaging, such as instructing senior players what to say in interviews.
Vilda could not immediately be reached for comment. Rubiales did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the men’s national team manager, applauded Rubiales when he refused to resign on Aug. 25 but later issued statements condemning his behaviour.
Rubiales had praised Vilda for the World Cup triumph and offered him a new four-year contract, increasing his annual salary to 500,000 euros ($536,000) from 160,000 euros.
Spain’s top 58 female players said they would not play for the national team under the existing leadership. An RFEF source told Reuters last week that players were now being consulted to see whether the removal of Vilda would change that.
Luis Rubiales speaks out to ‘continue defending myself’ over kiss scandal
Under-fire Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales has spoken out for the first time in a week and vowed to continue defending himself amid the ongoing kiss scandal following the Women’s World Cup final.
Rubiales kissed Spain player Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the World Cup victory celebrations, with Hermoso since explaining that the kiss was not consensual, despite the president’s insistence that it was.
Rubiales has repeatedly refused to resign or apologise for the incident despite being suspended by Fifa and growing cries from governments and football officials to step down.
The situation has somehow become even stranger since the 46-year-old repeatedly shouted ‘I will not resign, I will not resign’ during a press conference last Friday where he also called criticism of his actions ‘false feminism’, with his mother being hospitalised after locking herself in a church and going on hunger strike to object to the criticism of her son.
In his first public comments since 25 August, Rubiales has now expressed some regret about the situation but is still adamant the kiss was consensual and insists he will continue to defend himself to “prove the truth”.
Luis Rubiales speaks out to ‘continue defending myself’ over kiss scandal
The Spanish FA president did express some regret but repeated claims that his kiss with Jenni Hermoso was consensual, despite the player stating otherwise
Luis Rubiales latest news and updates
Follow the Independent’s live blog for all the latest news and updates from Spain’s women’s team, president of the Rfef Luis Rubiales and more.
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