MADRID: Spain’s women’s team coach Jorge Vilda has been sacked, 10 days after FIFA suspended his Spanish federation boss for kissing team player Jenni Hermoso on the mouth in celebration of their World Cup victory.

The interim new leadership of the Spanish federation replaced Vilda with his assistant, Montse Tome, who becomes the first woman to helm the women’s national team. She had been Vilda’s assistant coach since 2018 and “established herself as a key player in the national team’s growth.”

A new board formed after RFEF president Luis Rubiales’ suspension by world governing body FIFA over the kiss during the World Cup victory celebration two weeks ago terminated Vilda’s contract.

In a statement that gave no reason for his dismissal and did not mention Hermoso, Rubiales or the scandal, RFEF thanked 42-year-old Vilda for his “extraordinary sporting legacy”.

Vilda, considered a close ally of Rubiales, had been under fire since last year after 15 players staged a mutiny calling for his resignation because of inadequate coaching methods and calling for conditions to match those of the men’s squad.

Vilda and Luis de la Fuente, the men’s national team manager, applauded Rubiales when he refused to resign on August 25 but later issued statements condemning his behaviour.

Rubiales had praised Vilda for the World Cup triumph and offered him a new four-year contract, increasing his annual salary to €500,000 from €160,000 euros.

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