Spanish women's coach Jorge Vilda has been sacked, 10 days after FIFA suspended his federation president for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth in celebration of Spain's World Cup victory.
Vilda has been replaced by assistant Montse Tome, who becomes the first woman to helm the women's national team.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", said the Spanish federation.
Vilda's contract was terminated by 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.
The federation has given no reason for his dismissal, and did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales or the scandal, but thanked Vilda, 42, 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," it said.
The furore involving Rubiales has quickly spiralled into a national debate over women's rights and sexist behaviour.
Interim president Pedro Rocha has 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," he said.
Considered a close ally of Rubiales, Vilda had been under fire since last year, when 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, says players accused Vilda of micromanaging, such as instructing senior players what to say in interviews.
Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the men's national team manager, applauded Rubiales when he refused to resign on August 25, but later issued statements condemning his behaviour.
Rubiales praised Vilda for the World Cup triumph and offered him a new four-year contract, increasing his annual salary to 500,000 euros (NZ$911,000) from 160,000 euros.
Spain's top 58 female players said they would not play for the national team under the existing leadership.
A federation source told Reuters last week that players were being consulted to see whether the removal of Vilda would change that.
Reuters
