Hours After Spanish FA Boss Kissed World Cup Winner, Coach Groping Female Staff Goes Viral in a Shocking Clip
As his team celebrated scoring the winning goal in the Women’s World Cup Final, footage has surfaced showing Spanish coach Jorge Vilda appearing to unintentionally touch a female staff member on the breast.
Spain defeated England 1-0 to win the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and Olga Carmona’s goal in the first half was the difference.
Vilda is seen in the footage appearing to embrace people around him when the goal is scored.
Luis Rubiales should be fired. Immediately. pic.twitter.com/KZlElDHsKw
— total Barça (@totalBarca) August 20, 2023
While Vilda is looking out into the field, other videos that have surfaced show Vilda’s hand moving from a female staff member’s shoulder to her breast. The world feed cut away at this point.
Rubiales es la punta del iceberg pic.twitter.com/tDWBAtK4aI
— calvoporretaproducciones (@PorretaCalvo) August 21, 2023
Although there is no indication that the touch was deliberate, the image has surprised many people on social media, especially since it was posted just one year after 15 players quit the Spanish national team because they felt Vilda was treating them like “children.”
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15 members of Spain’s Euros squad sent an email to the RFEF in September 2022 stating they did not want to be considered for selection due to their “emotional state,” which is when the turmoil started.
Although the specifics of their grievances were never made public, Spanish media earlier claimed that they wanted Vilda, 42, who has held the position since 2015, fired.
Later, the players refuted the allegations, but it was said that they had a long list of grievances about how things were handled both on and off the field.
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According to reports, the players, many of whom had previously played for Barcelona, accused Vilda of being “dictatorial” and disapproved of his training strategies.
The players’ hotel doors would have to remain open before midnight while on national duty, according to Mundo Deportivo and other outlets, so he could personally ensure that they were getting enough sleep.
There were also rumors that Vilda would inquire about the players’ whereabouts, companions, and purchases if they went out.
Vilda claimed that the conflict was “practically over” in the run-up to the World Cup.
Only three of the fifteen players have, however, returned to international service.
Barcelona’s Mapi Leon, one of the players who has refused to rejoin the team, implied that things were still not going well when he said: “I can’t go back, there has to be changes.”
Vilda was frequently questioned about the scandal at the World Cup by media from other countries.
Although he usually keeps to himself, he acknowledged that the upheaval had “made all of us stronger” after Spain defeated Sweden 2-1 in the semi-finals.
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“The support of Luis Rubiales, the president of the federation, and everyone at the federation, means so much and will always stay with me, as well as that of my family because they have suffered this year,” Vilda said.
However, Rubiales, the head of the Spanish Football Federation, also got himself into trouble when he kissed Jenni Hermoso on the lips following Spain’s victory.
In an Instagram Live video, Hermoso expressed that she “didn’t like it,” but later stated to AFP via a statement from the Spanish federation that it was “A totally spontaneous mutual gesture because of the immense joy that winning a World Cup brings.”
“The president and I have a great relationship, his behaviour with all of us has been outstanding and it was a natural gesture of affection and gratitude,” Hermoso’s statement read.
Spain tosses Head Coach Jorge Vilda in the air after the Final 🇪🇸🎉 pic.twitter.com/Hvg8kTa4Om
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) August 20, 2023
Rubiales apologized for the event in a video message, calling the uproar “idiotic” in the process.
In a video that Spanish television aired on social media, Rubiales said, “Certainly I made a mistake and I have to acknowledge that.”
“It was done without any ill intention in a moment of the highest exuberance. Here we saw it as natural and normal but outside it has caused a commotion.
“I have no choice but to apologise and to learn from this … and when representing the federation take more care.”
On Monday, Spain’s minister of sports had already called for Rubiales to apologize. Acting minister Miquel Iceta said on Spanish public radio, “I think it is unacceptable to kiss a player on the lips to congratulate her.”