"The coach told me to leave the door open at night..." Another sexual harassment allegation emerges against the female national team coach

Controversy Over Female Coach Touching Chest... New Allegation Emerges
"Coach Demanded to Keep Door Open During Meeting"

New allegations have emerged against Jorge Vilda, the former head coach of the Spain women's soccer team, who was previously involved in sexual harassment controversies.

On the 13th, the American sports media outlet ESPN reported on statements made by Spain national team player Jennifer Hermoso during an interview with a Spanish TV program scheduled to air on the 15th.

In the interview, Hermoso revealed, "Former head coach Jorge Vilda asked players to leave their doors open at night under the pretext of personal meetings," adding, "The coach visited players' rooms one by one, and some players even fell asleep waiting for him."

She also added, "After players went shopping, the coach tried to check what was inside our bags."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Spain women's soccer team reached the pinnacle by winning the Women's World Cup jointly hosted by Australia and New Zealand last August, but controversies inside and outside the team persisted. Even before the World Cup, some players dissatisfied with Vilda's autocratic management declared they would not participate in the tournament.

In particular, during the awards ceremony, Luis Rubiales, then president of the Royal Spanish Football Federation, sparked a sexual harassment controversy by forcibly kissing Hermoso. To make matters worse, during the final, Vilda was caught on live broadcast hugging the coaching staff and placing his hand on a female coach's chest.

Spanish women's national football team player Jennifer Hermoso (right) [Image source=EPA Yonhap News]

As the controversy escalated, Vilda, who had led the team since 2015, stepped down from his position despite winning the World Cup. Furthermore, Rubiales resigned from his presidency and is currently under investigation by the Spanish prosecutor's office for charges of sexual violence and coercion.

FIFA imposed a three-year suspension on former president Rubiales. Meanwhile, Vilda, who stepped down as Spain's coach, took over as head coach of the Morocco women's national team in October last year.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.