Jorge Vilda

Summary

Jorge Vilda Rodríguez (born 7 July 1981) is a Spanish football coach and UEFA Pro Licence holder, who is currently the head coach of the Morocco women's national team, since 12 October 2023. Previously was the head coach of the Spain women's national football team from 2015 to 2023, winning the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. He was also sporting director of the Spanish FA's (RFEF) women's national-team system and tactical instructor at their National Coaching School for much of the same period. He was fired from all roles on 5 September 2023 as part of the Rubiales affair.

Jorge Vilda
Personal information
Full name Jorge Vilda Rodríguez[1]
Date of birth (1981-07-07) 7 July 1981 (age 42)
Place of birth Madrid, Spain
Team information
Current team
Morocco women (head coach)
Youth career
Years Team
1991–1995 Barcelona
1995–1996 Rayo Vallecano
1996–1998 Real Madrid
Managerial career
2009–2013 Spain women U19 (assistant)
2009–2014 Spain women U17
2014–2015 Spain women U19
2015–2023 Spain women
2018–2019 Spain women U19
2023– Morocco women
Medal record
Women's football
Representing  Spain
FIFA Women's World Cup
Winner 2023 Australia–New Zealand
UEFA Women's Under-19 Championship
Runner-up 2014 Norway
Runner-up 2015 Israel
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup
Runner-up 2014 Costa Rica
Third place 2010 Trinidad and Tobago
UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship
Winner 2010 Switzerland
Winner 2011 Switzerland
Runner-up 2014 England
Third place 2013 Switzerland

Career edit

Spain women's youth national football teams edit

A former youth player at the academies of Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano and Real Madrid,[2] Vilda began as an assistant coach to his father, Angel, at WU17 and WU19 level, before taking the head coach's position with Spain's WU17s in 2009. During five years at that level, Spain won gold (2010 & 2011), silver (2014) and bronze (2013) at UEFA Women's U-17 EUROs,[3] in addition to silver (2014) and bronze (2010) at the FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.

In 2014 he was among the ten nominees for that year's FIFA Coach of the Year for Women's Football and was appointed to the head coach's role with Spain's WU19s, who collected silver medals at the UEFA Women's U-19 EURO in 2014 and 2015 before being appointed as head coach to the senior side since then.

Spain women's national team edit

Appointed Spain's senior head coach in 2015, succeeding Ignacio Quereda, Vilda oversaw a successful qualifying campaign for the UEFA Women's EURO 2017.[4] At the competition in the Netherlands they reached the quarter-finals, where they lost on penalties to Austria after a 0–0 draw.[5]

In 2018 Spain won the Cyprus Cup and also secured their place at the 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup – only their second appearance at the global event. Additionally, Vilda oversaw Spain's victory at the UEFA WU19 EURO, which contributed to being shortlisted for the award of The Best FIFA Woman's Coach 2018.[6]

By 2019, many of the players that Vilda had worked with at youth level, including Alexia Putellas, Amanda Sampedro, Virginia Torrecilla, Lola Gallardo, Nahikari García, Patri Guijarro, Mariona Caldentey and Ivana Andrés, had all established themselves as regular senior-squad members. At France 2019, Spain qualified from Group B in second place (behind Germany and ahead of China and South Africa), the first time Spain had reached the knockout stages of the FIFA WWC.

Drawn against 2015 champions U.S. in the Round of 16,[7] two penalties from Megan Rapinoe ended Spain's chances of reaching the last eight. Vilda and Spain's momentum continued into 2020, with La Roja finishing second in the She Believes Cup – beating England and Japan and losing to hosts United States.

2022–23 player dispute and World Cup title edit

In 2022, a dispute broke out between Vilda and 15 Spanish players who boycotted the national team. The dispute arose after what the players perceived as a disappointing result in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 as well as their concerns about Vilda's coaching style and his treatment of players.[8][9]

The Federation supported Vilda,[10] who refused to resign[11] and did not call up those players in the following matches.[12] Only three of them –Aitana Bonmatí, Mariona Caldentey and Ona Batlle— returned to the national team and competed in the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup.[13] In this tournament, Spain became world champions after defeating the English team by 1–0 in the final, thanks to Olga Carmona's goal.[14]

 
"#Acabouse" protest 28 August 2023

Following the scandal regarding the actions of the president of the RFEF, Luis Rubiales, and his subsequent suspension, on 5 September 2023, Vilda was dismissed by the acting president, Pedro Rocha, as national coach.[15] On 27 September 2023 Vilda's status in the case was upgraded from witness to suspect and he was required to testify on 9 October.[16][17]

Despite leaving Spain for another coaching position, Vilda remains under investigation.[18]

Morocco women's national team edit

After the Rubiales incident, which led to his dismissal and criminal investigation,[17] on 12 October 2023, he was announced as the new head coach of the Moroccan women's team.[19] He was recommended to the Moroccan FA by his former employers, the RFEF.[20]

Managerial honours edit

Spain U17 women

Spain U19 women

Spain women

Individual

References edit

  1. ^ "FIFA Women's World Cup Australia & New Zealand 2023 – Squad List: Spain (ESP)" (PDF). FIFA. 11 July 2023. p. 27. Retrieved 11 July 2023.
  2. ^ "Vilda out as Spain boss in Rubiales unsolicited kiss fallout". ESPN. 5 September 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Young Competition for Budding Talents". UEFA. 28 June 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  4. ^ "History".
  5. ^ "Austria-Spain | UEFA Women's EURO".
  6. ^ "FIFA docuseries celebrates Zagallo as he turns 90". Archived from the original on 22 June 2020.
  7. ^ FIFA.com
  8. ^ Lowe, Sid (23 September 2022). "Player mutiny exposes deeper issues within Spanish women's football". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 August 2023.
  9. ^ Rugari, Vince (13 February 2023). "'A worldwide embarrassment': Why 15 Spanish stars could sit out Women's World Cup". The Age. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  10. ^ "Spanish FA feuding with women's national team over coach Jorge Vilda as 15 players ask to not be selected". CBSSports.com. 23 September 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  11. ^ "Spain's W coach: I won't quit over 'farce' mutiny". ESPN.com. 30 September 2022. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  12. ^ Lowe, Sid (30 September 2022). "Jorge Vilda omits 15 players after Spain mutiny and refuses to step down". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  13. ^ Bonals, Laia (12 June 2023). "Alexia Putellas y tres de 'las 15' vuelven a la selección española en la prelista para el Mundial". elperiodico (in Spanish). Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Spain beat England 1–0 to win first Women's World Cup title". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  15. ^ "La Federación destituye a Jorge Vilda como seleccionador femenino". ELMUNDO (in Spanish). 5 September 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Spanish court includes former women's soccer coach Vilda in probe over Rubiales kiss". Reuters. 27 September 2023. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  17. ^ a b Mosquera, Pau; Foster, Matt (27 September 2023). "Former Spain women's coach Jorge Vilda under investigation as part of Luis Rubiales court case". CNN. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  18. ^ AFP (22 November 2023). "Hermoso Summoned By Judge In Rubiales Case". Barron's. Retrieved 24 November 2023.
  19. ^ "Jorge Vilda, nuevo entrenador de la selección femenina de Marruecos" (in Spanish). MARCA.com. 12 October 2023. Retrieved 12 October 2023.
  20. ^ Chavala, Laura Busto (15 October 2023). "Jorge Vilda finds a new team after Spain dismissal". Her Football Hub. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  21. ^ "A Victory for Women's Football". FIFA. Archived from the original on 30 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  22. ^ "Asian sides dominate Trinidad & Tobago". Archived from the original on 18 June 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  23. ^ "Tournament History:WU19 Euro". UEFA. 30 June 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  24. ^ "Spain crowned Algarve Cup champions". FIFA. 8 March 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  25. ^ "USA celebrate while Spain reign in Cyprus". FIFA. 8 March 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.
  26. ^ "FIFA has announced the ten coaches who have been shortlisted for The Best FIFA Women's Coach award 2018". FIFA. 24 July 2018. Retrieved 6 July 2020.

External links edit

  • Jorge Vilda at Soccerway
  • Jorge Vilda: “I can’t wait to get started”. 3 September 2015.
  • Mentor and mentees make the most of Madrid meeting. FIFA.com.
  • Rising La Roja eyeing further progress. FIFA.com.