Footage has emerged of Spain head coach Jorge Vilda appearing to inappropriately touch a female member of staff during the Women’s World Cup final between Spain and England.
Video footage captured seconds after Olga Carmona’s 29th-minute goal against the Lionesses shows the Spanish staff celebrating – and Vilda’s left hand appears to rest on the chest of a female member of staff.
Vilda has become a polarizing figure within his team in recent years. with that division That became very clear during this year’s Women’s World Cup.
Fractures have occurred on the pitch, with Vilda notably running onto the pitch to celebrate with his players after their quarter-final triumph against the Netherlands, only to be ignored by his team.
He was also disallowed by a handshake from Spanish star Alexia Putellas during their semi-final win against Sweden.
While he has enjoyed notable success since being appointed head coach, leading the team to Algarve Cup and Cyprus Cup glory and now winning the World Cup, the divisions between himself and his players during his time in charge are only but got bigger.
Vilda has become a divisive figure within the Spanish team in recent years
After the Euro 2022 quarter-final defeat to England, players hosted a video call with Luis Rubiales, the president of the Spanish Federation (RFEF) in August.
They were dissatisfied with their preparation for the European Championship and Vilda’s tactics throughout the tournament, believing his training methods to be inefficient and his in-game management non-existent.
Spain is said to have done little or no video preparation about England before facing them last summer.
There were also complaints about Vilda’s behavior.
He is said to have created a controlling environment, with Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo reporting that he forced players to keep their room doors open until midnight to self-check that they were there before going to sleep.
Vilda was reportedly responsible for closing the door and turning off the lights. These practices were stopped after the 2019 World Cup following complaints from players, but there are still heavy restrictions on their freedoms while in the camp.
Vilda’s scrutiny is said to be so excessive that he checks their bags when they return from a shopping spree, while players must also say who they meet when they want to leave camp, with all movements under strict supervision.
In 2022, 15 players wrote a letter to the Spanish Football Federation claiming they would not be available for selection as long as Vilda remained in his position, claiming he was ‘damaging their mental health’.
CNN has reached out seeking comment on the moving incident of Vilda, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and the woman in the footage.
In 2022, 15 players in the squad wrote a letter to the Spanish Football Federation saying that Vilda was ‘damaging their mental health’ and withdrew from the national squad.
The division between Vildas and his team has become clear during the World Cup
Meanwhile, Spain’s FA president Luis Rubiales has apologized for kissing player Jenni Hermoso after his country’s victory over England in the World Cup final.
The football chief faced a flurry of criticism and dismissal requests after planting the unsolicited kiss on Jenni’s lips after the game.
After leading politicians told him to stop or apologize on Tuesday, Rubiales admitted in a video address that he had made a mistake.
He started the video by saying that the national team had delivered a “historic achievement” and it was one of the “happiest” days for Spanish football.
But he added: “There is also something I regret and that is about something that happened between a female player and myself, who have as great a relationship as I have with other female players.
“I must have made a mistake and I must admit it.”
Spain’s FA president Luis Rubiales has apologized for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips after the country’s World Cup victory over England
He continued, “In a moment of maximum excitement, without any ill intent or bad faith, what happened happened in a very spontaneous manner, I repeat, with no bad faith on either side.
“We didn’t really understand what happened next, because we saw it as something normal and natural, but it has caused controversy in some sectors and some people seem to be upset, so I have to apologize.
“Moreover, I must learn from this and understand that when someone is president of an institution as important as the Spanish Football Federation, he should be more careful in events such as ceremonies.”