Spain Women’s World Cup Winning Coach Jorge Vilda Calls His Firing ‘Unfair’ and ‘Unexpected’

Spain’s former women’s national team coach Jorge Vilda called his sacking “unfair” on Tuesday and addressed why he clapped at Luis Rubiales’ assembly as fallout from the beleaguered soccer chief’s unwanted World Cup kiss continues.

In an interview with Spanish sports radio program ”El Larguero” on Cadena SER, Vilda was asked about how he was feeling after Tuesday’s announcement.

“I am as good as one can be after being named world champion 16 days ago, then 10 days ago getting a four-year contract extension, plus the year I had left, and then after today being fired, what I believe to be, unfairly,” Vilda said.

Just hours after Vilda was sacked from his role as the team’s head coach, Spain’s soccer federation (RFEF) announced that he would be replaced by his deputy, Montse Tomé – the first woman to ever take up the position in Spain’s national team history.

Vilda said that he was informed of his sacking by interim RFEF president Pedro Rocha, among a couple of others, in a brief meeting, citing structural changes as the reasoning.

“After 17 years in women’s football, after everything we’ve accomplished … I have a clear conscious because I’ve given 100% effort every day during these 17 years, but I don’t understand the decision and I don’t think I deserved to be fired,” he said.