Jorge Vilda, Spain's Coach, Nears Dismissal as Luis Rubiales Clings to Power at RFEF

The Ongoing Scandal Involving Spain's RFEF President Luis Rubiales Threatens the Position of Coach Jorge Vilda.

The scandal surrounding the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, shows no signs of abating and is now jeopardizing the position of the head coach of the Spanish Women's National Team, Jorge Vilda.

Currently under FIFA suspension related to football activities, Rubiales, the head of the country's football association, has remained steadfast in his role despite mounting pressure. This follows a controversial incident where he refused to resign, despite widespread criticism, after forcibly kissing women's football player Jenni Hermoso during the awards ceremony of the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.

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Recently, the RFEF convened with the chairpersons of the regional governing bodies for Spanish football. The committee reached a consensus that someone must be held accountable for all the turmoil surrounding the RFEF.

Regional chairpersons have issued a statement calling for Rubiales to step down and pushing for a "strong organizational overhaul and strategic positions within the federation." However, with Rubiales currently holding onto his position, Spanish football is in need of a temporary solution.

As a result, the regional chairpersons' committee has made the decision to remove Vilda from his coaching position. Nevertheless, the authority rests with the interim president of the RFEF, Pedro Rocha, and the governing council of the organization.

According to Football Espana, today (September 5th), RFEF officials will meet with leaders of the Spanish High Sports Council (CSD), a government body, to announce this decision. This move was expedited and approved by interim president Pedro Rocha, who is temporarily overseeing the affairs of Spanish football in place of Luis Rubiales.

Notably, Coach Jorge Vilda had recently led the Spanish Women's National Team to their first-ever World Cup championship victory. Therefore, fans and observers find it unjust that the 42-year-old coach has become a casualty of power struggles at the upper echelons of Spanish football.

However, it is worth noting that even before guiding the Spanish Women's National Team to victory in Australia on August 20th, Vilda had a strained relationship with some of the female players.

In September of the previous year, the women's national team of Spain experienced internal conflicts. A large group of players opposed and demanded the dismissal of Coach Jorge Vilda. In response, Rubiales supported Vilda and granted him the authority to remove 12 out of the 15 players involved in the uprising. Consequently, despite leading Spain to the historic victory in the FIFA Women's World Cup 2023, Jorge Vilda did not gain the favor of the football community in his homeland.

READ MORE: Javier Tebas, La Liga President, Accuses Luis Rubiales of Being 'madman' and 'undermined the dignity'

Luis Rubiales Faces Potential 30-Month Jail Sentence for Jenni Hermoso Kiss

The trial concerning the nonconsensual kiss involving Luis Rubiales has not commenced at this time.