It seems possible that the head of the association, who kissed the player Jennifer Hermoso on the mouth against her will at the award ceremony after the World Cup triumph against European champions England, will sooner or later have to go.
Most of Vilda’s coaching staff have already resigned and the world champions are also on strike.
Vilda and Rubiales have been considered close allies since 15 players went on strike against Vilda in September 2022 to protest the manager’s methods.
Vilda had recently criticized Rubiales’ behavior, but applauded Rubiales’ incendiary speech at an extraordinary general assembly of the RFEF. The association president had also refused a resignation demanded by large parts of Spanish politics.
Consequences for Rubiales still unclear
Rubiales had triggered worldwide outrage with his kiss. World governing body FIFA temporarily suspended him for 90 days. Eleven employees had resigned from the functional teams of the women’s national teams, including Vilda’s assistants.
Before the separation from Vilda, the association said that the RFEF wanted to take a number of measures in the coming days “to improve the management of the association and repair the damage caused as much as possible,” he said.
Jennifer Hermoso (left) and Luis Rubiales (right)
Photo Credit: Getty Images
What consequences the kiss scandal could have specifically for the association or Rubiales remained unclear. He wanted to sincerely apologize to the football institutions, wrote interim president Pedro Rocha in the letter published on Tuesday, which he claims to have previously sent to the appropriate addressees.
Rubiales’ behavior does not reflect the values of Spanish society, he has caused “enormous damage” to it and to Spanish football.
Association seeks quick decision
It is now the task of the association to ensure that such a case does not happen again, Rocha asserted. In addition, the RFEF supports FIFA and the Spanish sports judiciary in reaching a decision “that makes up for the damage” as quickly as possible.
The national sports administration court TAD and the public prosecutor are also dealing with the case. The regional associations of Spain refused Rubiales allegiance.
Rubiales was elected president of the Spanish federation in May 2018. The official also sits as a deputy on the Executive Committee of the European Football Union (UEFA).
Alcaraz assesses the Rubiales case and the consequences: “A shame”