Spain’s women’s soccer coach was fired on Tuesday just two weeks after leading his team to the World Cup title, the latest fallout comes from an unwanted celebratory kiss moments after the game.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation also issued a big apology because federation president Luis Rubiales kissed the mouth of player Jenni Hermoso during the post-match medal ceremony.
Spain defeated England, 1-0, on August 20, while La Roja lifted the country’s first women’s World Cup trophy.
The historic victory touched off wild celebrations across Spain, but that jubilation has turned into a national debate about the country’s deep-rooted patriarchal ethos.
Coach Jorge Vilda initially supported Rubiales and opposed efforts to replace the head of the federation. Eventually he became more critical of Rubiales, said the kiss tainted “a well-deserved victory for our players and our country.”
The federation, in a long statementacknowledged the “damage caused” by Rubiales’ kiss to “Spanish society.”
“Those actions do not reflect all the values of the entire Spanish society, its institutions, its representatives, athletes and leaders of the Spanish game,” according to the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF).
“The Spanish society is an example of tolerance and respect, in all social and political fields and has been an example of ethics and sports ethics, as it has been shown for decades in all the activities of game in which it participates.”
The federation continued: “That greatness and international honor of our society and our sport has been tarnished in recent days by the actions of Mr. Luis Rubiales. Football and sport in general are huge.”
Although the coach is now critical of Rubiales, the federation, under the guidance of acting president Pedro Rocha, has decided to part ways with the World Cup-winning field boss.
The federation did not mention Rubiales or the kiss in its announcement of Vilda’s termination.
Even before the World Cup kissing scandal, Vilda was a divisive figure within Spanish soccer circles.
Just a year ago, more than a dozen players said they were does not want to be named in the national team due to disagreements with Vilda’s teaching style and the allegedly sexist culture surrounding the program.
The Spanish soccer federation, at the time, supported Vilda.
“The federation would like to express its gratitude to Jorge Vilda for the services provided, for his professionalism and his dedication all these years, wishing him success for the future,” according to statement of the federationof on Tuesday, announcing his dismissal.
“She left the federation with a unique sporting legacy thanks to the implementation of a recognized game model and an approach that has been a growth engine for all categories of women in the national team.”
Tuesday’s statement did not name a successor.
Rubiales refused to resign from his position following the withering, worldwide criticism. He is currently serving a 90-day suspension handed down by FIFA, the sport’s world governing body.