On the eve of the World Cup final, Spain head coach Jorge Vilda refused to answer a question about last fall’s player revolt that, according to Spain’s federation, saw 15 players demand his ouster.
Spain is on the verge of history, having reached Sunday’s final against England at Stadium Australia amid a highly tumultuous period.
As his team aims for its first World Cup title, Vilda was again asked about the player unrest in his pre-match press conference.
“Next question please,” was the coach’s response.
Of the 15 players who demanded changes last fall, only three made the World Cup roster: Ona Batlle, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey.
Five of the remaining 12 made themselves available for the World Cup but were not picked. That leaves seven, including stars Patri Guijarro and Mapi León, who refused to return.
Despite the turmoil and missing players, Spain has put together an outstanding World Cup. La Roja defeated pre-tournament favorites Netherlands and Sweden in the quarterfinals and semifinals, respectively, to leave them on the brink of a first world title on the women’s side.
Vilda would not be drawn on the ongoing controversy, instead choosing to focus on the unity of the 23 players that he did select for the World Cup.
“From the very beginning, the players have been united and working a lot,” Vilda said. “Today will be the 65th training session and all have come out very well — the training, games, everything inside the squad has been extraordinary. They have had fun, we’ve been together.”
[lawrence-related id=26179,26081,25703]