The coach of the Spanish national soccer team that won the Women’s World Cup trophy last month was ousted on Tuesday by the country’s soccer federation, after months of complaints from players who accused him of outdated methods and controlling behavior.
The firing of the coach, Jorge Vilda, comes as the fate of one of his most ardent supporters, Luis Rubiales, hangs in the balance. Mr. Rubiales, Spain’s soccer federation chief, forcibly kissed a member of the national team at a medals ceremony in Australia, setting off a national controversy in Spain and highlighting sexism in the sport.
The federation said in a statement that, as one of the “first measures of renewal” announced by the interim president, Pedro Rocha, it had decided “to do without the services” of Mr. Vilda as sporting director and national women’s coach, a role he accepted in 2015.
The federation named Montse Tomé, 41, as the women’s coach, and she will be the first woman to hold that position in Spain. Ms. Tomé has worked since 2018 on Mr. Vilda’s coaching staff, the federation said in a news release. She will make her debut in September.
In its statement about Mr. Vilda, the federation did not give a specific reason for firing him and thanked him for his work with the national team and…
