Spain's federation 'preparing to sack' women's team coach Vilda

MADRID: Spain's football federation (RFEF) is preparing to sack Jorge Vilda, who faced down a player mutiny to steer his team to World Cup glory, after he refused to resign in a scandal shaking the sport, an RFEF source said on Thursday (Aug 31).

The 42-year-old cut a sometimes isolated figure in Australia as his squad largely celebrated without him, and has now become embroiled in a backlash against RFEF president Luis Rubiales over a kiss he gave a player on the lips in the final ceremony.

Now, a new RFEF board, constituted after the sport's world governing body FIFA suspended Rubiales, has agreed to work on terminating coach Vilda's contract, the source said.

The board is also negotiating with women players who have gone on strike over the Rubiales case for their return.

Rubiales, while defiant, has little support after regional RFEF chiefs turned on him and urged him to step down.

Vilda, who has backed Rubiales, is a polemical figure himself in women's football.

His tenure as coach of the women's team since 2015 was first publicly called into question last year when 15 national team players sent letters to the RFEF saying they would no longer play for Spain while he remained in charge.

The RFEF made some adjustments to working conditions following their complaints but backed Vilda, and the squad proceeded into the World Cup without most of the mutineers.

The board was now working on the legalities of Vilda's termination and determining a severance package equal to his €160,000 (US$173,552) annual salary, the source said.

The RFEF, which speaks for Vilda while he remains its women's team coach, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. During the World Cup, he said the team's success would not have been possible