The Coach and Players Conflict Within Spain’s Women’s National Team
The Women’s World Cup is right around the corner, and all eligible country’s teams are lining up or whittling out their final player picks to represent them. Spain released a provisional team lineup on June 12, which incites excitement and wonder, considering the drama the team, managers, and coaches endured during the past year.
Provisional Lineup
Spain’s provisional line-up of 30 players includes three of the 15 members who signed a letter in protest of head coach Jorge Vilda last September. The three players who have made a resurgence on the team’s roster are Barcelona’s Mariona Caldentey and Aitiana Bonmati and Manchester United’s Ona Batile. Barcelona’s Irene Paredes and Alexia Putellas and Pachuca’s Jennifer Hermoso, who supported but did not sign the letter, also appeared on the provisional line-up.
Spain’s Women’s Soccer Drama Recap
Last September, 15 Women’s Spanish National team players signed an open letter to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) expressing concern over their head coach, Jorge Vilda. There is currently no change in Jorge Vilda’s position on the team, and he made it clear that he had no intention of stepping down as head coach.
Irene Paredes, Jennifer Hermoso, and Patri Guijarro, three players who had signed or supported the letter, stated that their intention was not to call for Vilda’s resignation but to spread awareness about the general upset about team functionality with Vilda in charge.
— Ona Batlle (@OnaBatlle) September 24, 2022
The Federation and Vilda doubled down and stated that the 15 players would be unwelcome to represent Spain on the team until they had realized their wrongdoings and apologized. No compromise had been met as of late March, with none of the 15 included in the last two friendly games before the World Cup.
Players’ Concerns with Vilda
The 15 who decided it necessary to speak out about their differences with Vilda focused on general unease regarding his managerial style. The players stated that Vilda was affecting their physical and mental health.
Their main concerns were the locker room atmosphere, team training, injury treatment, and his controlling behavior on and off the field. They expressed feelings of unpreparedness before matches and that Vilda overstepped personal boundaries when traveling as a team.
He allegedly instructed the athletes to leave doors open and looked inside their shopping bags when returning from a walk.
Jorge Vilda
Vilda’s entire career has been within women’s teams, currently as Spain’s Women’s National team’s head coach since 2015. His family has a long history with professional positions in the Spanish federation, and they have persistently supported him as a coach. Vilda’s contract does not expire until 2024, and as of now, there is no movement for a breach of contract.
Twenty-three players can represent Spain at the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. So, the pressure is on to see where Vilda’s priorities lie when making final decisions about the team.
The Wave of National Teams Speaking Out
Spain is not the only women’s national team with recent troubles with current managers and coaches. The Jamaican women’s national team recently criticized the Jamaican Football Federation for their unwillingness to listen to players’ concerns about preparedness for the World Cup.
France and Canada also had similar situations occur with their respective federations. For France, the upset resulted in the head coach, Corinne Diacre, being dismissed by the French Football Federation.
Canada spoke out about pay inequities this February, which led to the resignation of the Canadian soccer federation’s president. However, the team is still in open conflict with the federation over funding and support.
The impending international coverage of the World Cup is bringing to light the issues of many teams and the management behind them. The approaching World Cup adds a time-sensitive pressure to resolve conflicts before the final selection of players travels to Australia and New Zealand and represents their countries. With many teams speaking out against national federations, change and re-evaluation of the systems are a real possibility.
Featured image via Getty Images
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