Jorge Vilda led Spain to World Cup victory last month when his side beat England 1-0 in the final – but he was “closely aligned” to under-fire Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales.
The head coach of the Spanish women’s football team has been sacked in the wake of the Rubiales kiss furore.
Jorge Vilda led Spain to World Cup victory last month when his side beat England 1-0 in the final.
But he faced criticism after he applauded a speech by Luis Rubiales when the Spanish football federation president refused to resign for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips in the aftermath of the final.
Addressing Vilda directly on Friday, Mr Rubiales called him the best coach in women’s football and offered him a new four-year contract worth €500,000 (£429,000) a year.
By Saturday, Vilda had changed his tune, releasing a statement criticising Mr Rubiales – but he stopped short of calling for his resignation or dismissal.
The Spanish football federation said its acting president Pedro Rocha has “decided to dispense with the services of Jorge Vilda as sports director and women’s national coach, a position, the latter, which he accepted in 2015”.
The federation said it “appreciates his work at the head of the national team” as well as the successes achieved during his time.
It added: “We value his impeccable personal and sporting conduct, being a key piece in the notable growth of women’s football in Spain. During his extensive period, Vilda has been a promoter of the values of respect and sportsmanship in football,”
Even before the World Cup final, Vilda’s leadership was called into question after 15 Spanish players refused to play for him.
They claimed that they had concerns about their health and emotional state. Only three of those players returned to the fold for the World Cup campaign.