On the eve of the Women’s World Cup, the divisions in the Spain camp were clear for all to see.
At a farewell party in Madrid, the squad were lined up when controversial head coach Jorge Vilda was introduced on stage. The reaction of the players spoke volumes about a feud that has engulfed the women’s game in Spain for the past year.
Nearly half the team did not clap as Vilda walked out. Two-time Ballon d’Or winner Alexia Putellas placed her hands behind her back and a video clip of the incident went viral on social media.
Spain reached the World Cup final with a 2-1 win against Sweden on Tuesday. It is a remarkable achievement, given their dysfunctional build-up to the tournament.
Last September, 15 players wrote to the Spanish federation to declare themselves unavailable for selection because conditions in the national set-up had affected their “health” and “emotional state”. The true number of the player revolt was actually 18, as captain Irene Paredes had already taken a stand at a press conference, while Putellas, who was injured at the time, and record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso had protested but without joining the players known as “Las 15”.
The precise nature of the players’ grievances were not made public because they had wanted them to be addressed in private, but it was reported their issues centred around them wanting the national team set-up to be more professional, privately citing problems such as travelling to some games by bus instead of plane, training methods and match preparation.
There were also complaints against Vilda and his staff. It is alleged Vilda had created a controlling environment. Spanish newspaper Mundo Deportivo claimed players had to keep the doors to their rooms open until midnight and bags were checked after they had been shopping. The Spanish federation deny such behaviour has taken place since 2018, when Luis Rubiales took over as president.
The implication was the players wanted Vilda to go, though they deny they ever demanded his exit. The Spanish federation called the situation “unprecedented in the history of football”. They asked players to “admit their error and apologise” before claiming they would pick youth players if needed.
There have been some changes. Preparation for matches has improved, with Spain flying out to New Zealand on July 8 to give themselves extra time to get over jet lag. New staff have been hired to work on fitness and injury prevention. Players have more freedom in their spare time.
Six of the “Las 15” are at the World Cup, including star Barcelona midfielder Aitana Bonmati, but Spain are without some big players: world-class defender Mapi Leon, key midfielder Patricia Guijarro and goalkeeper Sandra Panos. Despite the issues, Spain are one game away from glory.
