The return of the women's team after the players' war against Vilda: "We want Alexia's Spain"

• Jorge Vilda Responds to the mutiny and goes on the attack against the players: "I challenge you to say if I have not been respectful. I am not going to resign"

• Women's football Jorge Vilda's career: the shadow of his father Ángel and seven years in the national team (and only in the national team)

Let

.

That will be the best."

The

appeared on the horizon of the Spanish women's team, its coaching staff and the

itself as a balm in the face of controversy.

Andalusian joy with the ball in between to calm things down, those responsible for the national team thought.

But the media war that has been carried out by the soccer players who resigned from the national team and the coach

moved to the south.

Because Spanish women's football, the one that until a few months ago tried to rub shoulders with the

in the

Championship and in the next

, returned to the pitch without almost 20 of the best soccer players in the country.

A unique circumstance on the planet and a blow to

.

"My favorites are

," said little

on the way to the stadium.

Beside her, a friend with the Spanish flag admitted that he was going "to see the national team, I don't care who plays."

But it matters, boy does it matter.

And it is that in Córdoba the team not only played against

, the

, but against the business of women's football.

Behind the scenes of the Federation, it has been debated for days how the resignation of the players will affect

, especially that of

, who is the current

and has more than

in her social networks, ten times more than the women's team itself.

A vital sports and business casualty.

For years, Alexia and the 15 players who have resigned have been the

of the team and now they are gone.

The sale of TV rights, sponsorships...

In full negotiation for the sale of the television rights of the

and with the Federation talking with the brands for sponsorships for that important year 2023, the sports crisis threatens to become an economic crisis.

"

, logically," a manager of a multinational linked to women's football assured EL MUNDO a few days ago.

of the national team , is aware of all this economic-business conflict

.

After the relentless press conference a week ago, in which he accused the players who had resigned of being "badly advised", he challenged them to "

" and denounced that they are making "a world ridiculous" .

In the previous one, however, the coach was cautious, lukewarm in his speech and focused on the future rather than the past.

He spoke of the "

" prevailing in the concentration, of the "team under construction" that was being formed and of "the courage that my players transmit to me."

That is, no trace of all those who had resigned.

Vilda whistles, I remember Alexia

However, El Arcángel did remind him of the controversy that he was trying to forget and gave the team a reality check, both emotionally and sportingly.

The Cordoba stadium drew

, most of them thanks to the 2x1 box office and far from the 7,000 who attended the Colombino de Huelva in the last friendly prior to the European Championship.

Alexia and the 15 protagonists of the riot had been in that match.

Meanwhile, at

, the women's teams from

received more than 60,000 people.

"This is the Spain of Vilda, but

," summed up one fan.

The bottoms of the field were left empty of public and only the lower sides assumed spectators.

Many flags from Spain, quite a few from Andalusia, some banner asking for the shirt of

a young

star and number 10 and

, and no poster asking for Vilda's resignation, a situation that was experienced in the matches played in Las Rozas last September, when the Federation was forced to remove some banners from the stands and the whistles against the coach were evident.

In Córdoba, the public, with a youthful majority, encouraged the players and blamed Vilda, who was greeted with boos when he was introduced by the public address system.

The

, yes, helped the whistles not to be heard as much.

A situation that was repeated when the coach jumped onto the pitch a few seconds before the players.

The Madrid coach remained standing, serious, while the music began to play, waiting for the game to start.

You know, football as a balm.

Nothing is further from reality.

“We want to be Spain, the team that we have always been.

done », said Vilda moments before the initial whistle.

And she at times she seemed.

The team, with

, one from Atlético, one from Levante, one from Athletic and

in its starting line-up, competed and drew against Sweden while #VildaOUT was trending on networks.

In that duel against Australia in Huelva, six of the Catalan team had started, including Putellas.

Against the Nordic team, Spain was proud and the quality of Athenea and came close to victory, but lacked talent in attack.

That talent that, perhaps, should find peace with the 15 who have resigned.

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• Articles Abraham Romero