Spain beat England to win their first ever Women's World Cup; success with a new-look squad comes after 15 players refused to compete under head coach Jorge Vilda last September
Sunday 20 August 2023 16:43, UK
It is less than a year since 15 players refused to play under head coach Jorge Vilda. Now, Spain are World Cup winners - but does this represent a loss for women's football?
In September 2022, the Spain Women's national team was thrown into crisis as 15 players declared themselves unavailable for selection while Vilda remained in charge.
Each player sent an identical email to the Spanish Federation (RFEF) describing how Vilda's methods had affected their health and emotional state, with stars of the game including Barcelona's Aitana Bonmati and Patri Guijarro among the revolt.
Despite the nature and number of complaints made, there was no suggestion of an internal investigation.
Instead, the federation vowed that the players could only return to the national team if they "admit their error and apologise".
The RFEF described the players actions as "scheming", threatening international suspensions between "two and five years".
They added: "The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers."
Twelve of those 15 players remain frozen out of the squad, with only Aitana Bonmati, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle appearing at this Women's World Cup.
Vilda has been coaching various iterations of Spain's national teams for 14 years, responsible for leading what is seen as the golden generation of women's football in the country.
He began his managerial career with the U17s in 2009, then spent a year with the U19s in 2014, before being appointed first-team head coach in 2015.
Despite the calibre of players under his leadership - including Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas - the team has underperformed until this point. Their highest finish was at Euro 2017, where La Roja exited at the quarter-final stage.
After being knocked out by England in the quarter-finals of the Euros last summer, it is reported Putellas, Irene Paredes and Patri Guijarro privately issued a formal complaint to the federation including concerns around low-quality training sessions, lack of match analysis, insufficient rest and player privacy.
It was only after this complaint went unacknowledged that the 15 players joined together to demand change.
"At no point did I consider resigning," said Vilda, who defended his record at length in a press conference at the time of the players' statements in September 2022.
"I wouldn't wish this on anyone," he said." The lack of clarity in the players' messages, both here and in their statements has allowed for doubts. That has opened up the idea that there must be something non-sporting in all this - and that's normal because none of this makes sense if that's not the case.
"I call on all those players that I have ever worked with - the captains have said the treatment has been exquisite - to come out and say there was ever a lack of respect or with any complaint about my behaviour in my entire career. People have made accusations and then hidden."
Both Vilda and his father voted for Luis Rubiales to become RFEF president in 2018.
"The support of [RFEF president] Luis Rubiales and everyone at the federation means so much," said Vilda.
Rubiales has since been involved in numerous scandals.
Allegations levelled at the president include using federation money for personal use and corruption in taking the Spanish Supercup to Saudi Arabia, both of which he has denied.
In their statement, the federation also said they would "only call upon players who are committed, even if that means playing with youth players".
And some of those young stars who emerged in the aftermath have shone on the international stage, helping Spain reach and win their first World Cup final.
Nineteen-year-old Salma Paralluelo - the youngest female player to feature for Spain at a World Cup - has quickly become La Roja's game-changer. She scored the winning goal in extra-time against the Netherlands and opened the scoring in a thrilling finale to the semi-final against Sweden.
In a 'passing of the torch' moment, Putellas was pictured 'shining' Paralluelo's boots after the game. Both of her goals have come in crucial moments for Spain, and offers an exciting view into the future.
It is this youthful creativity, alongside the established greats of Putellas, and FIFA player of the tournament Bonmati, that has underpinned Spanish success.
However, there are still noticeable tensions, with Vilda and the Spain coaching staff mostly excluded from any post-match celebrations with the players.
Female footballers fighting for respect was a recurring story in the lead-up to the World Cup: respect to be funded equally to their male counterparts, respect for their achievements, and respect from coaching staff.
Spain have won the Women's World Cup for the first time in their history, but what is the message to the Spanish federation? That they were right to stick with their man - not the 15 women - or that the team was able to win despite the turmoil?
