Spain's federation set to sack coach Jorge Vilda
A new board constituted after the suspension of RFEF President Luis Rubiales (46) by the sport's world governing body FIFA over a kiss he planted on a player's lips has agreed to work on terminating coach Vilda's contract, the source told Reuters.
The board is also negotiating with players of the women's team who have gone on strike over the incident for their return.
Vilda, who has backed Rubiales, is a polemical figure himself in women's football.
The board was now working on the legalities of his termination and determining a severance package equal to his 160,000-euro salary, he said.
The RFEF, which speaks for Vilda while he remains its women's team coach, did not respond to a Reuters request for comment. During the World Cup, he said the team's success would not have been possible without RFEF backing for him.
SALARY OFFER
In an address to federation members on Friday, Rubiales refused to resign over the kiss furore, saying it had been whipped up by "false feminists". He praised Vilda for presiding over the World Cup win, offering him a fresh, four-year contract with an annual salary of 500,000 euros.
Vilda was among those who most enthusiastically applauded Rubiales' refusal to resign.
The source said the federation could not be held to Rubiales' verbal salary offer, and felt it had a "strong argument" if Vilda were to take legal action.
At the weekend, Spain's top 58 female players said that following the medal ceremony in Sydney, when Rubiales planted a kiss on the lips of player Jenni Hermoso that she said was non-consensual, they would not return to play for the national team under the existing leadership.
The RFEF source said players were now being consulted as to whether the removal of Vilda would change their minds.
The RFEF has also sought the return of Rafael del Amo, the president of the national committee for women's football, who resigned in protest at Rubiales' refusal to quit.
Del Amo has been nominated to speak to players on the pledge that the RFEF will renew the team's staff, the source said.