25 August 2023 , 12:07
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Shamed Spanish FA president Luis Rubiales sensationally offered divisive head coach Jorge Vilda a lucrative contract extension worth €500,000 per year as he refused to resign from his post.
Rubiales, speaking at an extraordinary general assembly called by the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Friday - five days after he kissed Spain star Jenni Hermoso on the lips during the nation’s World Cup celebrations - had been expected to tender his resignation.
Hermoso had said she "did not enjoy it" in the aftermath of the incident and later called for the president’s actions to ‘not go unpunished ’. A number of Spanish clubs, the biggest of whom were Atletico Madrid, had also called for Rubiales' dismissal.
Instead, in a no-holds-barred speech, Rubiales said would not be stepping down as president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) and also offered Vilda a four-year contract extension. He announced: "I have activated the mechanisms to start a negotiation with you in which I invite you to stay with us for the next four years charging half a million euros a year.
"You deserve it' since 'you are the best coach in the world and you have earned it with the conquest of the World Cup, because you [Vilda] and your coaching staff are also world champions."
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Vilda managed Spain to victory at the 2023 Women's World Cup, however the 42-year-old has spent much of the past year embroiled in controversy over his alleged maltreatment of his squad. In the wake of last year's Euros, 15 players wrote to the Spanish FA to declare they would not be available for selection while Vilda remained in his position, asserting that he was 'damaging their mental health'.
They claimed that they lacked tactical analysis of the opposition, that training sessions were inadequate, with several stars also lodging complaints about his conduct. Vilda was, however, backed by the Spanish FA, chiefly Rubiales, with a number of those 15 players eventually returning to compete at this summer's tournament.
Vilda found himself thrust into further controversy when footage emerged appearing to show him touching a female staff member inappropriately during Spain's World Cup Final clash with England.
Speaking on Friday, Rubiales said: "This is the body that elected me and the body to which I must give explanations. I want to thank everyone for the messages of support that you have sent me, there have been many messages that I have received.
"I want to apologise for an event that occurred in the (VIP) box (at the final). I am going to explain it because I was looking at Jorge Vilda (the Spanish women's manager). We have been through a lot together, and they have wanted to do to you the same thing that they are doing to me now, they are trying to create a false version of events and turn it into reality.
"I was very emotional after we won the World Cup and you (Vilda) turned around and dedicated the win to me. There I made the gesture (of grabbing his testicles), I apologise to Her Majesty the Queen. I have never behaved like this in a box before. I do not justify myself, sorry."
"I want to give my explanation about the peck (small kiss), it was a peck. The desire that I could have giving that kiss was the same desire that I could have giving my daughter a kiss, here there was no dominance."