• Montse Tomé Coach with a meteoric career on the bench
  • RFEF Jorge Vilda, dismissed as women's coach
  • Pedro Rocha apologizes for the "unacceptable" performance of Rubiales

In the Spanish Federation the fear of a direct intervention of the Government, via the Higher Sports Council, in its organization chart has not yet completely gone. To the interim president, Pedro Rocha, Víctor Francos, president of the CSD, has sent these days the need to break with everything that smells of Luis Rubiales, among other things to disguise the failure of the Government in its strategy before the TAD (Administrative Court of Sport). And this Tuesday was the day chosen by the Federation to make evident its departure from the suspended president. Out of conviction or obligation, or both, the Federation began on Tuesday a path of redemption that it hopes will serve to calm the Executive.

On Monday night it was known that the next day, at 17:30 p.m., the first meeting between Rocha and Francos was going to take place. And at that meeting I wanted to arrive first with at least part of the homework done. So, in a matter of a few hours, the Federation made a statement with an unequivocal title ("The RFEF apologizes to the world of football and society as a whole"), announced the dismissal of Jorge Vilda, one of the clearest 'rubialistas', and appointed a woman for the first time in history as coach (Montse Tomé, the one who had been Vilda's right-hand man in recent years, what things). All this happened between 14:00 p.m. and 18:00 p.m.

That is, it happened before and during the meeting between the Federation and CSD. A meeting, by the way, that began in advance and ended just over an hour later, without statements or communiqués from the parties. It was learned that, in addition to the measures already promoted, Rocha promised Francos other actions, and gave him names and surnames of the people who will leave the Federation in the coming days. You do not have to be very smart to think of the general secretary, Andreu Camps, and Tomás González-Cueto, the legal advisor of the Federation, who although without charge as such exercises a vital function in the body that Rubiales presided.

Signaled by applause

Regarding Vilda, the decision was made since last Monday, August 28, the presidents of all the territorial Federations met in Las Rozas, but it was not until Tuesday when the president, Pedro Rocha met with him to communicate it. "One of the first renewal measures announced by the president," the RFEF said in a statement.

The dismissal of Vilda comes after the controversial applause of support for Rubiales during his speech in the Assembly after the non-consensual kiss to Jenni Hermoso in the World Cup final. Their situation was untenable. Indicated by those applause, also indicated by the verbal renewal announced by an unbridled Rubiales in the Assembly of last August 25, the worst thing was the announcement of more than 80 professional footballers, including all those who were world champions, that they would not return to the selection until things changed, which was as much as saying they wouldn't come back while he was around.

Vilda had a contract until 2024 and, as Rubiales himself revealed, she charged "between 160,000 and 170,000 euros" per year. And his dismissal could end up in court for the surprising offer of renewal that the suspended president made him in the Assembly. "I invite you to stay with us for the next four years charging half a million euros a year. Because you deserve it," Rubiales explained to the astonished gaze of the assembly members.

Valid verbal contract?

What the Federation has been trying to know is if there is any document that collects that offer in case the renewal was activated before or in the hours after the Assembly. According to federal sources consulted by EL MUNDO, there is no written record, which does not mean that it cannot be considered by a labor court as "a valid verbal contract," although several jurists consulted by the Federation believe that it is not.

After the statement and the dismissal of Vilda, the Federation confirmed Montse Tomé as the new coach, so she becomes the first woman to hold the position. According to the RFEF statement, the appointment of Tomé, who since 2018 served as Vilda's number two, "responds to the regeneration measures announced by the president." The 41-year-old Spaniard will debut on the bench on September 22 against Sweden on the first day of the Nations League.

  • football
  • RFEF
  • Luis Rubiales
  • Jenni Hermoso