August 20th 2023.
Jorge Vilda had a rollercoaster experience after leading Spain to their first ever Women's World Cup trophy in Sydney. Even though his team had won the final over England 1-0, with Olga Carmona's goal in the first half being enough to secure their victory, the celebrations were tinged with an awkwardness.
This was because less than a year ago, 15 Spain players had stepped aside from the national team after raising several concerns with the Spanish Football Federation, which included Vilda's management. Reports had come out that coaching staff were ordering players to show the contents of their bags during a training camp, while squad members were told to keep the doors of their hotel rooms open before midnight for inspections.
The RFEF had opted to stick by Vilda, but the fractured nature of the relationship between him and the players was clear to see throughout the World Cup, as Spain's players often celebrated away from the coaching staff. After the 1-0 win over England, Vilda was spotted celebrating on his own, surrounded by players.
At the end of the match, when pictures of Vilda collecting his World Cup medal were shown on the big screen, he was booed by the fans inside the stadium. When asked about the mass walkout of players from his Spain squad, Vilda described the situation as a 'world embarrassment' and said, “The solution I found is to make this list, only with players 100 percent committed to the project. If you don’t value what it means to be with the national team, wear this shirt and represent your country, you don’t deserve to be with us.”
Despite this, some of Spain's players showed their support for Vilda after the final. Players like Sandra Panos, Mapi Leon and Patricia Guijarro, who had been left out of the World Cup squad, all showed their appreciation for the work that Vilda had done in leading Spain to their historic victory.
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