Jorge Vilda: Spanish FA standing by head coach as 15 players threaten to quit due to mental health issues

The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) is backing women’s coach Jorge Vilda after 15 players emailed them to say they would resign from the national team if he continued in charge.

The emails, identical according to the RFEF, said that playing with Vilda was affecting their mental health.

However, a strongly worded statement said the players in question had committed “a very serious offence” by refusing to play that could lead to up to five years’ ban from the national team.

The RFEF also apologized to the players involved if they want to represent Spain again and stated that, in the meantime, it would use players from younger age groups to strengthen its squad.

Local media reported that the Spanish women’s team was in chaos last month, with players on the brink of mutiny if the federation didn’t relieve Vilda of her duties.

“The RFEF can confirm that, throughout today, we have received 15 emails from 15 players of the senior women’s soccer team… in which they state that the current situation affects ‘significantly’ their mood and their health and that, ‘as long as there is no going back’, they resign from the Spanish team,” the Spanish Football Federation said in a statement on Thursday.

“The RFEF is not going to allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions is not within their powers.”

The RFEF said that refusing to attend a call for a selection is typified as “a very serious offense and can carry sanctions of two and five years of disqualification.”

According to sources close to the situation, the players are unhappy with the management of injuries, the atmosphere in the locker room, the selection of Vilda’s team and their training.

The RFEF, which did not reveal the identities of the 15 players, said it fully supports the coach and that the players will only return to the team if they “recognize their mistake and apologize.”