Amid the euphoria of winning a first Women’s World Cup, there was an unavoidable sub-plot for Spain.
As players embraced each other and then stepped forward to collect their winners’ medals, Jorge Vilda was booed by the crowd. Booed before kick-off and booed as he stepped onto the podium to be crowned a world champion.
The concern for some connected to Spanish football will be that the team’s remarkable success has, in fact, strengthened the position of a manager that so many of them do not respect. Some of Spain’s players, after all, even asked for Vilda to resign during the Euros last year.
In the aftermath of the victory over England, the ill feeling that lingers between some members of this Spain squad and their manager was not evident. Vilda was embraced by the players and hurled into the air.
But it is only a matter of months since unhappiness at the environment surrounding the national team meant a group of 15 players signed a letter demanding improvements from the country’s federation (RFEF). They were unhappy with Vilda, but the federation backed its man and he remained. Only three of those 15 players made it to this World Cup.
The truth is the team’s success probably has strengthened Vilda’s position and can be seen as a vindication of his employer’s…
