The Spanish football coach fired further consequences of the sports president’s unwanted World Cup kiss
Spain women’s soccer coach was released on Tuesday Just two weeks after leading his team to the World Cup, this was the latest consequence of an accidental celebratory kiss shortly after the game.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation also issued a lengthy apology after FA President Luis Rubiales kissed player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth during the post-match medal ceremony.
Spain defeated England 1-0 on August 20 as La Roja lifted the country’s first Women’s World Cup trophy.
The historic victory sparked wild celebrations across Spain, but that rejoicing degenerated into a nationwide debate about the country’s deep-rooted patriarchal norms.
Coach Jorge Vilda initially supported Rubiales and opposed efforts to replace the federation boss. Eventually he became more critical of Rubiales. say the kiss is spoiled “A well-deserved victory for our players and our country.”
The association, in a lengthy statementacknowledged the “damage” that Rubiales’ kiss did to “Spanish society”.
“These actions do not reflect at all the values of the entire Spanish society, its institutions, its representatives, its athletes and those responsible for Spanish sport,” said the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
“Spanish society is an example of tolerance and courtesy in all social and political spheres and is an example of behavior and sporting propriety as it has demonstrated for decades in all sporting events in which it has participated.”
The federation continued: “This nobility and the international standing of our society and our sport have been tarnished by the actions of Mr Luis Rubiales in recent days. The damage done to Spanish football, Spanish sport, Spanish society and the values of… football and sport as a whole has been enormous.”
Although the coach is now critical of Rubiales, the federation, led by acting president Pedro Rocha, has decided to part ways with the World Cup-winning field coach.
The FA didn’t mention Rubiales or the kiss in their announcement of Vilda’s resignation.
“The Association would like to thank Jorge Vilda for the services rendered, his professionalism and commitment over the years and wishes him every success for the future,” said a Association statement.
“He leaves the federation with an exceptional sporting legacy, thanks to the implementation of a recognized game model and a methodology that has been a growth engine for all women’s categories of the national team.”
No successor was named in Tuesday’s statement.
Rubiales then refused to resign from his post scathing global criticism. He is currently serving a 90-day ban imposed by FIFA, the sport’s world governing body.
