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SEXISM

Spain women’s coach Vilda set to be forced out amid Rubiales storm

Spain's controversial Women's World Cup-winning coach Jorge Vilda is set to be forced out as the sexism scandal engulfs the Spanish football federation, according to Spanish reports.

Spain women's coach Vilda set to be forced out amid Rubiales storm
Spain's head coach Jorge Vilda looks on during a training session at Stadium Australia in Sydney on August 19, 2023 on the eve of the Women's World Cup final football match between Spain and England. (Photo by FRANCK FIFE / AFP)

Over 80 national team players are striking in protest until the leadership of the federation (RFEF) is changed, in the wake of president Luis Rubiales’s forcible kiss on the lips of midfielder Jenni Hermoso after the team triumphed in the final in Sydney on August 20.

Vilda, who last week applauded a speech in which Rubiales refused to resign from his position and railed against “false feminism”, later criticised Rubiales’ “inappropriate and unacceptable” behaviour.

World football governing body FIFA provisionally suspended Rubiales for 90 days, while the Spanish government are seeking to impose their own sanctions and the RFEF have asked him to resign.

While the majority of Spain’s coaching staff offered to step down in the wake of the Rubiales incident, Vilda did not, after Rubiales publicly announced the coach was in line for a new contract with a big pay hike.

Reports in Spain on Thursday said the RFEF’s regional presidents had agreed on the need for Vilda’s departure at a meeting Monday, although he is said to want another role at the federation if he leaves his current post.

Vilda and Rubiales have been close allies since 15 players went on strike from the Spanish national team in September 2022, in protest against the coach’s methods but also demanding improvements from the federation to travel conditions, support staff numbers and other areas.

The coach, 42, was mocked on social media by football fans as Spain players appeared unwilling to celebrate their successes with him as the team reached the World Cup final and triumphed against England.

Many of the 15 players who revolted changed their stance and made themselves available for selection for the tournament, but Vilda called up only three — the eventual player of the tournament Aitana Bonmati, as well as Ona Batlle and Mariona Caldentey, all Barcelona players.

Turbulent history

Vilda took over the Spanish women’s national team in 2015, after years spent coaching younger age groups within the RFEF.

Players complained about his training methods and tactics after Spain were eliminated in Euro 2022 by England in the quarter-finals, as well as other issues around the team.

Eventually 15 players, including many of the team’s stars, wrote a letter to the RFEF announcing they would step away from the team because of situations “affecting my emotional state and therefore my health.”

Hermoso and double Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas were not part of the protest because of injury but did offer their support to the striking players.

Putellas suffered a knee injury while training with Spain ahead of Euro 2022 — Spanish media reported that such situations were of concern to the players, who wanted more physiotherapists to help prevent injuries.

Vilda was also criticised for being excessively “controlling” by former players.

Spanish reports said he demanded to check players’ shopping bags and made the squad leave their bedroom doors open during team training camps to make sure the players were still there in the evenings.

Despite the complaints, Rubiales and the federation stood by Vilda and the coach called up several younger players for subsequent squads to fill in for the missing stars.

Many made the squad for the World Cup as key players including Barcelona duo Mapi Leon and Patri Guijarro missed out, standing firm with their protest.

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FOOTBALL

Rubiales to go on trial in February in Spain over unwanted kiss

Disgraced former Spanish football federation chief Luis Rubiales will stand trial in February next year for his unsolicited kiss on the lips of Women's World Cup winner Jenni Hermoso, the court overseeing the process said Monday.

Rubiales to go on trial in February in Spain over unwanted kiss

Rubiales, 46, provoked worldwide outrage by kissing Hermoso during the medal ceremony after Spain beat England to win the World Cup in Australia last year.

In May a court had ruled Rubiales should be tried for sexual assault over the kiss, and for the alleged coercion subsequently exerted to make her say that it was consensual, without setting a date.

The trial will be held at the Audiencia Nacional, a Madrid court in charge of complex cases, from February 3 to 19, the court said in a statement.

Public prosecutors have requested a sentence of two-and-a-half years in prison for Luis Rubiales — one year for sexual assault and 18 months for coercion.

The prosecution is also asking for two years’ probation once the sentence has been served and for him to pay €50,000 ($54,000) in compensation to the player.

Rubiales is also under investigation in a separate alleged corruption case involving his reign at the federation, has denied any wrongdoing.

Three of his former associates are also being tried for putting pressure on Hermoso: former women’s coach Jorge Vilda, men’s team director Albert Luque and federation marketing boss Ruben Rivera.

The kiss took place live in front of the world’s cameras, provoking widespread outrage and prompting his suspension by world football governing body FIFA.

At the time, Rubiales brushed it off as “a consensual” peck on the lips, but Hermoso, 34, said it was not.

Under Spanish law, a non-consensual kiss can be classed as sexual assault — a criminal category that groups all types of sexual violence.

Rubiales told private Spanish television station La Sexta in April that he could not understand how the kiss he gave Hermoso could be labelled as sexual assault, saying there was “no sexual context” to it.

He denied accusations that he and other federation officials coerced Hermoso by pressuring her to speak out in his defence after the scandal erupted.

“I have a clear conscience, things have been blown out of proportion,” Rubiales said.

Hermoso filed a lawsuit against Rubiales in September, telling the judge she had come under pressure to defend him both on the flight back from Australia and on a subsequent team holiday to Ibiza in the Balearic Islands.

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