Amid Glorious Triumph, Dissent Echoes Toward Jorge Vilda.
Amid the jubilation of their inaugural World Cup victory over England, marked by a 1-0 triumph, an undercurrent of disapproval found its voice in the direction of Spain’s exultant coach, Jorge Vilda. Boos reverberated through the stadium as the big screen showcased Spain’s Queen Letizia congratulating the triumphant coach at Stadium Australia.
In a moment preceding this, Vilda had gazed skyward, his hands raised, releasing a joyful scream as the referee’s final whistle affirmed Spain’s ascendancy as global champions.
Even amidst this victory, the shadow of controversy clung to Vilda. Every step of this tournament had been marred by contention, and this triumph was no exception.
This victory will etch itself into the annals of Women’s World Cup history as one of the most remarkable. Spain’s entry into the competition was shrouded in unrest, with a contingent of players disenchanted with Vilda’s leadership. Notably, Vilda had navigated a player revolt to retain his position.
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) disclosed that 15 players had submitted identical emails, outlining their refusal to play under Vilda unless pressing concerns about their “emotional state” and “health” were addressed.
Dubbed “Las 15,” these players refuted assertions that they demanded Vilda’s dismissal. Nonetheless, tensions simmered amidst reports of training methodology concerns and subpar game preparation.
However, the players transcended their differences on the fields of Australia and New Zealand, securing a resounding world victory in only their third World Cup appearance. Spain’s official Twitter account hailed the achievement, quoting Vilda: “The girls are eternal now and they have a star on their chest forever. It’s been very easy [to manage the group]. We are a family, we are world champions with a family of players.”
