Spain's World Cup-winning forward Jenni Hermoso said former national team coach Jorge Vilda told players to leave their room doors open at night so he could talk to them individually. .
On January 2, Hermoso gave evidence before a Madrid court investigating former president of the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Luis Rubiales, following his non-consensual kiss with the player after the World Cup final in August. . He is accused of sexual assault and coercion.
Vilda, who was removed from his position in September and is now Morocco's coach, is also being investigated, along with two federation executives, for attempts to pressure Hermoso to back Rubiales.
In an interview with the Spanish television show “Planeta Calleja” to be broadcast on Monday, Hermoso detailed some of the team's complaints about Vilda, which led several veteran players to boycott the national team before last summer's tournament.
“When we went to bed, we had to leave the door open and wait for [Vilda] stop by at night and let him talk to us,” Hermoso said, in a clip posted Friday before the show.
“He used to say it was the only time he had to talk to us in person. From knocking on the door of the first players, to getting to the last one, maybe some players would have gone to sleep.”
“When we went to buy, he would wait for us and ask us what we had in the bag,” adds Hermoso.
Vilda has also denied pressuring Hermoso to downplay the incident, as well as any inappropriate behavior towards his players.
“I have been fighting for women's football for 17 years, for the values of respect, equality, teamwork and sporting behavior,” Vilda told Cadena SER radio in September.
Rubiales' kiss sparked widespread criticism for his behavior after Spain's victory in the World Cup final.
The former RFEF president was ultimately suspended from all football-related activities for three years by FIFA and faces a criminal investigation in Madrid. He denies the charges.
On January 2, Hermoso was the last witness to testify before the judge who will now decide whether Rubiales should stand trial, telling the court that the kiss was “unexpected and at no time consensual.”
The forward told “Planeta Calleja” that she was aware of the possible consequences of filing a complaint against Rubiales with the police.
“Yes, and I am also clear that if I had not done it, if I had agreed to record a video at that moment saying that nothing had happened, it was clear to me that I could have had other things, off the court.” , which would have helped me a lot,” Hermoso said.
“But I felt the courage, the strength, to, above all, do something that was right. That was the most important thing at that moment.”
Hermoso announced earlier this month that she would be leaving her previous club, Mexico's Pachuca, to join rivals Tigres Femenil.
