Spain women’s boss Jorge Vilda has been sacked as manager as part of changes to the country’s set up in the wake of Luis Rubiales’ ‘kiss-gate’ scandal.

Vilda’s position has been controversial despite the coach leading Spain to a 1-0 win over England in the Women’s World Cup final last month.

The Spanish FA were urged to dismiss Vilda by their regional presidents’ committee last week, with the organisation facing mounting pressure over the controversy surrounding Rubiales, who is a close ally of the coach.

And Vilda has now been dismissed by Spain after a meeting with acting Spain FA president Pedro Rocha. Mail Sport understands Levante manager Sanchez Vera is one of the leading candidates to take over.

Rubiales has been provisionally suspended by FIFA and facing increasing pressure to resign after he kissed Jennifer Hermoso following the Women’s World Cup final.

Vilda also faced criticism for applauding Rubiales when the embattled Spanish FA chief had made a defiant speech insisting he would not resign, although the coach has since hit out at his conduct.

During the same speech at the end of last month, Rubiales hailed Vilda and offered to secure him a new four-year contract for his efforts with the team.

‘I have directed Andreu to start negotiations with you (Vilda) so that you can continue for the next four years earning half a million euros,’ Rubiales said.

‘I’m going to say it, now you were earning 170,000 euros, not half a million as they said. In women’s football, you are the best coach in the world,’

Marca reported earlier on Tuesday that Rocha would swing the axe on Vilda, who had been in the role since 2015 but divided the squad over his behaviour and coaching methods.

In September 2022, 15 Spain players wrote a letter to the Spanish FA refusing to play unless Vilda resigned, arguing that his reign was affecting their ’emotional state’ and amid talk of unprofessionalism.

Rubiales chose to back Vilda, who opted to select just three of the 15 players in his squad for the World Cup.

The protest against Vilda came amid reported he had banned players from locking their hotel rooms, carried out room checks, and went through their bags like ‘children’.

It has been claimed the decision to sack Vilda is be a ‘symbol’ of the changes promised by the Spanish FA in response to the Rubiales scandal.

Rangers International F. C’s newly appointed G.M/CEO, Barrister Amobi Ezeaku, has charged staff of the club to improve their performances so as to help the club achieve its set target of becoming one of the most admired and followed club in the African continent and the world at large.

Making his first official contact with staff at the club’s corporate head office, G.R.A, Enugu, on Thursday, the youthful administrator called for cooperation, diligence, and dedication to duty from all members of staff of the corporation as he believes that these virtues will go a long way to help the club realize its set goals.

The new helmsman of the ‘Flying Antelopes’ after being introduced by the Administrative Secretary, Barrister Ferdinand Ugwuarua to members of staff, thanked everybody for holding on and flying the flag of the club very high, stressing, “It gives me joy to be back here in Rangers and I thank God who made everything possible as well as thank Enugu state governor, H.E, Dr Peter Mbah for his government’s belief in my capability to lead this great club, Rangers International F.C. My return is for good and I urge us all to rededicate and re-double our efforts in our duties to help take our club to the desired heights.”

Later in the day, the G.M/CEO had an audience with players, coaches, and backroom staff of the club at the Players’ Camp, Independence Layout, Enugu, where he challenged all to up their game to ensure that Rangers celebrate with trophies at the end of 2023/2024 football season.

“Sincerely, I am very happy to be in your midst, and with the calibre of players I see here with the quality of coaches on the ground, I am optimistic that we shall celebrate at the end of the soon-to-be football season. Even as I don’t doubt your individual qualities, I charge you to work as a team. Cooperate in everything you do so that we can come out tops in every match we play and at the end, success shall be ours,” stated the UEFA and FIFA Masters certificate in club administration, holder.

Coach Gabriel Ezema who spoke on behalf of the coaching crew led by Fidelis Ilechukwu promised the new club boss that all would be done to ensure that all targets set by the club were met. At the same time, the captain of the side, Chukwudi Nwaodu, in reacting to the charge, welcomed and thanked the new G.M/CEO and promised that the footballers will do all in their power to ensure that Rangers regain its pride of place in both domestic, continental and world football.

Recall that Enugu state governor, Wednesday, August 23, 2023, announced Barrister Amobi Ezeaku as the new General Manager and CEO of Rangers International F.C.

Minister of Sports Development, Senator John Enoh has emphasized the need to move Nigerian football to the next level and for concerted efforts to be in the interest of the game.

The minister made this known during a courtesy visit to his office by the Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) led by its president, Ibrahim Gusau, on Thursday.

The minister stated that “football is the biggest unifier of our nation, thus it is important to put the interest of the game ahead of personal interests, sentiments and pecuniary gains.”

“Nigerian football at all levels, both male and female deserves our attention, and this administration will work together with the NFF to plant the seeds of development and success that we all crave for, Enoh added.”

The minister stated that the ministry is willing to cooperate with the NFF to solve all pending issues in Nigerian football, for the sake of the country.

Speaking, NFF President, Ibrahim Gusau stated “I am happy to meet the cool gentleman assigned to the Ministry of Sports as our honourable minister. We look forward to working together with him. We are here primarily to congratulate him and welcome him to the arena of sports.”