The Spanish soccer federation fired women's national team coach Jorge Vilda on Tuesday, less than three weeks after his team won the Women's World Cup title and amid the controversy involving suspended federation president Luis Rubiales.
The coach was among those who applauded Rubiales when he refused to resign despite facing widespread criticism for kissing player Jenni Hermoso on the lips without her consent during the title celebrations in Sydney last month.
Montse Tome was appointed as Vilda's replacement, making her the first woman to hold the job. She had been one of Vilda's assistant coaches since 2018.
Rubiales, who also grabbed his crotch in a lewd victory gesture after the final, has been provisionally suspended by FIFA and is facing a Spanish government case against him for the conduct that prompted a storm of criticism and led to widespread calls for his resignation.
Vilda later said Rubiales' behaviour was improper. Men's coach Luis de la Fuente also applauded Rubiales' diatribe against what he called "false feminists," and apologized on Friday for having clapped in what he described an "inexcusable human error."
The captains of Spain's men's national team on Monday condemned Rubiales' "unacceptable behaviour" in a show of support for the Women's World Cup-winning team.
Vilda was at the helm at the World Cup even though some players rebelled against him less than a year ago in a crisis that put his job in jeopardy. Fifteen players stepped away from the national team for their mental health, demanding a more professional environment. Only three returned to the squad that won the World Cup.
The players who left the team had signed a letter complaining about Vilda and the conditions for the national team.
Vilda was heavily backed by Rubiales throughout the process.
Spain's Jennifer Hermoso, right, and head coach Jorge Vilda listens to reporters questions during a press conference at Eden Park ahead of the Women's World Cup semifinal match between Spain and Sweden in Auckland, New Zealand, Aug.14, 2023. (AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino, File)
The federation said Vilda was "key to the notable growth of women's soccer" and thanked him for leading Spain's national team to the World Cup title and to No. 2 in the FIFA rankings -- its highest ever position.
"The federation wants to express its gratitude to Jorge Vilda for the services provided, for his professionalism and his dedication during all these years, wishing him success for the future," the federation said in a statement. "He leaves the federation with an extraordinary sporting legacy thanks to the implementation of a recognized game model and a methodology that has been an engine of growth for all the women's categories of the national team."
Vilda had been at the helm of the women's team since 2015. He was also relieved of his position as sporting director.
Vilda received a lukewarm welcome by fans during the team's titles celebration back in Madrid after the World Cup. He had been jeered by some during a viewing party during the final.
Spain hadn't celebrated a soccer World Cup title since the men's team won its lone trophy at the 2010 tournament in South Africa.
The women's team made it to only its third World Cup appearance in Australia and New Zealand. La Roja had advanced to the knockout round four years ago but lost to eventual champion the United States. It hadn't gone past a major semifinal since the 1997 European Championship.
The president currently in charge of the Spanish soccer federation, Pedro Rocha, released a letter on Tuesday apologizing to the soccer world and to society in general for Rubiales' behaviour.
Rocha said the federation had the responsibility to ask for "the most sincere apologies to the soccer world as a whole," as well as to soccer institutions, fans, players -- especially of the women's national team -- "for the totally unacceptable behaviour of its highest representative."
"In no way his behaviour represents the values of Spanish society as a whole, its institutions, its representatives, its athletes and the Spanish sports leaders," Rocha wrote.
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account – and the life-changing moment was caught on video.
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
WestJet is asking the federal government to put measures in place to lower ticket costs for travellers, but questions remain on who would foot the bill.
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Get ready for what nearly all the experts think will be one of the busiest Atlantic hurricane seasons on record, thanks to unprecedented ocean heat and a brewing La Nina.
A bipartisan group of 23 U.S. senators have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging his country to live up to its commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence amid concerns that key members of the NATO alliance are not pulling their weight.
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
Something shifted in the pretty little village of Lumby, B.C., after Tatjana Stefanski vanished. It used to be the sort of place where parents let their kids roam free or play in the local creek, but everything has changed.
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
The RCMP has added a traditional Indigenous ribbon skirt to its uniform.
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Britain's fractious politicians shared a rare moment of unity on Wednesday, when a Conservative lawmaker returned to work six months after sepsis put him in a coma and forced the amputation of his hands and feet.
Kosovo's parliament approved a draft law Thursday on renting prison cells to Denmark to help it cope with its overpopulated prison system.
A stage collapsed at a Mexican election campaign rally on Wednesday night, killing nine people and injuring dozens as high winds tore apart the large, concert-style structure, scattering politicians and attendees.
Many of the more seriously injured people who were on the Singapore Airlines flight that hit severe turbulence need operations on their spines, a Bangkok hospital said Thursday.
A group representing the families of hostages held in Gaza has released new video footage showing Hamas' capture of five female Israeli soldiers near the Gaza border on Oct. 7.
A deadly tornado that wreaked havoc in the small city of Greenfield, Iowa, left four people dead and nearly three dozen injured, officials said, while a fifth person was killed elsewhere.
A bipartisan group of 23 U.S. senators have written to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau urging his country to live up to its commitment to spend 2 per cent of GDP on defence amid concerns that key members of the NATO alliance are not pulling their weight.
A new government bill tabled in the House of Commons on Thursday would allow Canadians to pass citizenship rights down to their children born outside the country — a move that would add an unknown number of new citizens.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's trip to the United States targeted U.S. lawmakers, but also his political opponents in Canada, as his speech to one of the largest unions in North America attempted to make the case that his party cares more about workers’ rights than Pierre Poilievre’s Conservatives.
A Michigan dairy worker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.
Thousands of Canadians live each year with a devastating diagnosis: ALS. The condition, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, currently has no cure, but that could change after a promising breakthrough in Canadian research.
Families of the more than 60,000 children seeking services through the Ontario Autism Program say it is slow — a boy in Thornhill, Ont., has been on the wait-list for more than 2 1/2 years — that it is not truly needs based, that a lack of service providers means that even with money in hand some families can't find help, and that there is almost no transparency.
The surge in Canada's tick population is linked to recent changes in our climate, according to Mount Allison University biology professor Vett Lloyd.
A Michigan farmworker has been diagnosed with bird flu — the second human case associated with an outbreak in U.S. dairy cows.
The sun has a powerful magnetic field that creates sunspots on the star's surface and unleashes solar storms such as the one that bathed much of the planet in beautiful auroras this month.
Cassie Ventura has shared a statement expressing her gratitude for the support she has received since CNN's publication of a 2016 surveillance video that showed her being physically assaulted by her then-boyfriend, Sean 'Diddy' Combs.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment on Thursday.
Charlie Colin, bassist and founding member of the American pop-rock band Train, best known for their early-aughts hits like 'Drops of Jupiter' and 'Meet Virginia,' has died. He was 58.
The U.S. Justice Department filed a sweeping antitrust lawsuit against Ticketmaster and parent company Live Nation Entertainment on Thursday, accusing them of running an illegal monopoly over live events in America — squelching competition and driving up prices for fans.
Nvidia on Wednesday overshot Wall Street estimates as its profit skyrocketed, bolstered by the chip-making dominance that has made the company an icon of the artificial intelligence boom.
WestJet Airlines plans to launch a new cheaper fare category that would be available to travellers willing to fly without a carry-on bag.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account – and the life-changing moment was caught on video.
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
A private island that comes with one mansion, five guest cottages, a caretaker's residence, two boats and a tennis court has hit the market in B.C. for $7 million.
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has officially announced that it’s expanding north of the border with a first-ever Canadian team in Toronto.
The Kentucky police officer who arrested top-ranked golfer Scottie Scheffler outside the PGA Championship is receiving “corrective action” for failing to have his body-worn camera activated.
The WNBA is expanding to Toronto, but Larry Tanenbaum says the new team will belong to all of Canada.
BMW and Ethiopian-American artist Julie Mehretu unveiled her newest 'Art Car' at the Pompidou Centre in Paris, France.
Interpol says more than 200 stolen Canadian vehicles have been found each week across the globe since February.
California could eventually join the European Union in requiring all new cars to alert drivers when they break the speed limit.
When Jujhar Mann said he wanted to be a pastry chef on a grade school career project, he didn't imagine that pursuing his dream would land him on a popular Netflix baking competition.
A city known for its history, ties to outer space and southern barbecue, is also home to a Winnipeg chef dishing out dozens of perogies.
A Montreal photographer captured the moment a Canada goose defended itself from a fox at the Botanical Garden.
Public libraries in Atlantic Canada are now lending a broader range of items.
Flashes of purple darting across the sky mixed with the serenading sound of songs will be noticed more with spring in full force in Manitoba.
Catching 'em all with impressive speed, a 7-year-old boy from Windsor, Ont. who only started his competitive Pokémon journey seven months ago has already levelled up to compete at a world championship level.
A sanctuary dedicated to animals with disabilities is celebrating the third birthday of one of its most popular residents.
2b Theatre recently moved into the old Video Difference building, seeking to transform it into an artistic hub, meeting space, and temporary housing unit for visiting performers in Halifax.
A B.C. woman says her service dog pulled her from a lake moments before she had a seizure, saving her life.
A spokesman for Quebec's provincial police says British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton is in a medically induced coma after a prison attack and doctors planned to try to wake him soon.
West Vancouver police say they arrested a violent offender in the British Properties neighbourhood Wednesday, in an incident that drew a significant number of officers to the area.
More than 100 boats are making their way into Victoria’s Inner Harbour ahead of the 79th annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race.
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
The Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) has officially announced that it’s expanding north of the border with a first-ever Canadian team in Toronto.
A Toronto man who won $70 million in a recent Lotto Max draw literally fell off his chair when he saw the funds in his bank account – and the life-changing moment was caught on video.
Wildfire officials keeping an eye on Alberta's forests say there's been an alarming rise in the number of human-caused fires, with most of them found in the Calgary Forest Area over the long weekend.
Following years of struggles with high maintenance costs, the City of Calgary is closing down one of its swimming facilities.
Coined as Banff's 'ultimate summer job,' the Moraine Lake Bus Company says hundreds of people from across the world have applied for its adventurer position.
Ottawa police are investigating after someone allegedly stomped on a gosling in Kanata. Police say it appears that Canada Geese laid eggs in the area, "and on May 21, a suspect stomped on one of the hatched babies."
The president of the Treasury Board is standing by the federal government's new hybrid office mandate for federal public servants, but is urging managers to be flexible for staff requiring exemptions.
The City of Ottawa should study imposing a new levy on vehicles to help fund OC Transpo and O-Train operations, a new report recommends.
Students at Curé-Antoine-Labelle High School near Montreal are protesting after they say their school's administration started pushing what they call a 'sexist' dress code.
Universite du Quebec a Montreal has filed for an injunction against pro-Palestinian protesters who set up an encampment on its downtown campus a little over a week ago.
A spokesman for Quebec's provincial police says British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton is in a medically induced coma after a prison attack and doctors planned to try to wake him soon.
Police say the death of a man who was found critically injured on a sidewalk is a homicide.
One person was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries after they were stabbed Wednesday night.
Officials will speak about the continued effect of precipitation and cooler weather on the wildfire danger in Alberta Thursday morning.
The National Hurricane Center of the United States has issued their forecast for the 2024 Atlantic hurricane season
More than two years after British Columbia-based Paper Excellence, owners of Northern Pulp – the idled pulp mill in Pictou County – filed a lawsuit against the Nova Scotia government, the two parties have reportedly reached a settlement agreement.
Police say a vehicle struck a pedestrian on a Halifax street early Thursday morning.
Manitobans are being warned about a major weather event heading to the southeast part of the province that could bring between 50 and 60 millimetres of rain.
A Manitoba organization aimed at giving research dogs a second chance at life is searching for foster homes for pups in need.
A traffic stop in Thompson has resulted in a large cash and drug seizure.
The cost of changing all the signage of Dewdney Avenue – should the famous Regina street be renamed one day – could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, according to Mayor Sandra Masters.
The proprietors of Regina's sole discount theatre are aware they're carrying on a significant legacy.
Residents of Duck Lake and Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation are renewing calls for help as their doctor’s clinic has sat empty since the pandemic.
Big changes are coming to Waterloo Region waste collection.
2023 was a big year for population growth in the Region of Waterloo.
Maple Leaf Foods announced Wednesday that it is closing its Brantford, Ont. plant in early 2025.
The mayor of Cumberland House says he’s considering declaring a state of emergency over the deteriorating condition of the only highway in and out of the village.
Residents of Duck Lake and Beardy's and Okemasis' Cree Nation are renewing calls for help as their doctor’s clinic has sat empty since the pandemic.
The Saskatchewan NDP are calling for an investigation into whether or not Government House Leader Jeremy Harrison once brought a gun to the legislature after being accused by legislative Speaker Randy Weekes.
A successful strategy to end functional homelessness in Greater Sudbury would cost $350 million, a report headed to city council concludes.
Witnessing a potential tornado was 'surreal' for residents who caught a glimpse of the damaging storm in southern Ontario on Wednesday night.
As temperatures rise out of a mild El Nino winter, Canada's buggy season is already upon us again, and this year, the bugs are looking especially big.
The City of London has announced its first office-to-residential conversion project. As part of the plan, real estate development firm, MAAS, plans to plans to convert former office space at 166 Dundas St. into rental apartment units.
Western University is taking action against what it calls "illegal activity" at a Pro-Palestinian encampment set up on campus.
Provincial police northwest of Belleville have recovered millions of dollars worth of classic cars following a tip from Lambton County.
The Ontario government announced it would invest more than $60 million to build new schools and expand an existing one in Simcoe County, addressing the needs of growing communities.
Several police officers and emergency response personnel responded to reports of a possible body along the side of the road near Thornton that ended up being a false alarm.
Severe storms rolled into central Ontario on Wednesday, with Environment Canada warning about 120 kilometres per hour winds that had the potential to produce a tornado.
Windsor police are hoping the public can help identify the people and vehicles they believe to be involved in a shots fired investigation in Windsor on Sunday.
Essex County OPP are looking for a missing 39-year-old woman.
Several community leaders testified on the Ojibway Bill C-248 at the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources.
More than 100 boats are making their way into Victoria’s Inner Harbour ahead of the 79th annual Swiftsure International Yacht Race.
As 18-year-old Sidney McIntyre-Starko lay dying from a fentanyl overdose, several of her University of Victoria classmates watched helplessly, not recognizing what happened to her or how to perform CPR.
A spokesman for Quebec's provincial police says British Columbia serial killer Robert Pickton is in a medically induced coma after a prison attack and doctors planned to try to wake him soon.
One person is dead after a fight in Penticton early Sunday morning, according to authorities.
A suspect is at large after robbing a convenience store at gunpoint in Merritt, B.C., Friday, according to local police.
After four targeted shootings in four days, Mounties in Kamloops are taking the unusual step of warning the public about two men they believe are likely to be targeted in future violent incidents.
Alberta received a D- grade on Food Bank Canada’s annual poverty report card – a mark that did not come as a surprise for many organizations in Lethbridge.
Alberta sheriffs have closed a problem property in Medicine Hat, saying officers were frequently called to the home because of drug activity and violence.
Lethbridge police hit the road over the May long weekend, as part of an ongoing traffic enforcement project.
From paper and pen to tablets and computers, staff at the Greater Sudbury hospital are preparing for what they say is one of the biggest changes to happen to the hospital in decades.
Daily security patrols are returning to Sault Ste. Marie, Ont.’s downtown this summer. City council recently approved a pilot program that will see security patrols mid-day and in the evenings.
A U.S. citizen is facing impaired driving and other charges following an incident May 20 in Sault Ste. Marie.
79-year-old Madonna Wilkinson has been playing the accordion since she was 15, when she picked one up that had been left behind at one of her parents' rollicking parties in the oceanside town about 25 kilometres north of St. John's, N.L. She has played Sunday masses and St. Patrick's Day parties, and community events of all kinds.
Canada's new $10-a-day child care program is expanding, but there's growing evidence that demand for the program is rising even faster, leaving many parents on the outside looking in.
A new study shows an Atlantic salmon population in southern Newfoundland is disappearing, and it says nearby aquaculture operations are a likely contributor to the decline.
The Shopping Trends team is independent of the journalists at CTV News. We may earn a commission when you use our links to shop. Read about us.
