Who is Jorge Vilda, Spain’s women’s football manager?

SPAIN and England are set for the biggest match in their history in the 2023 Fifa Women's World Cup final.

The Lionesses, overseen by manager Sarina Wiegman, will take on Jorge Vilda Rodríguez's Spanish team on Sunday, August 20, 2023.

Who is Jorge Vilda Rodríguez?

Jorge Vilda Rodríguez is a Spanish football coach and manager.

He was born on July 7, 1981, in Madrid.

He has been head coach of Spain's women's national football team since 2015.

Vilda was once a football player himself, having been a part of Real Madrid, Rayo Vallecano and FC Barcelona's youth teams.

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But after two major knee injuries at the age of 17, he moved into coaching instead.

Much of Vilda's coaching career has seen him involved with Spain's women's youth squads.

He took on the role of assistant coach at WU17 and WU19 level before becoming the head coach for Spain's WU17s in 2009, a position he held for five years.

Vilda is married to his wife María, who he reportedly shares two children with.

Much of Vilda's private life is kept out of the spotlight.

How did Jorge Vilda become Spain's women's football manager?

Vilda took on the role of manager of Spain's women's football team in 2015.

His coaching career began with CD Canillas, a small neighbourhood club in Madrid. 

He then moved into working with the Spain's national women's youth teams, eventually working his way up to become manager of the senior team.

Vilda's stint with Spain's women's team, while nearing a decade long, has not been without some hurdles.

In September 2022, fifteen of Spain's players wrote letters to the Spanish football federation threatening to quit if Vilda was not fired.

In the letters, the players spoke about the impact Vilda's coaching had on "their emotional state and their health".

The federation responded to the letters in , demanding the players apologise to their manager.

The statement added that the federation would "not allow the players to question the continuity of the national coach and his coaching staff, since making those decisions does not fall within their powers".

The letters came shortly after Spain reached the quarter-finals of the 2022 Euros, where they were defeated by England.

The Lionesses went on to win the tournament, and Spain's players were thought to be disgruntled with team selection, training sessions and how injuries were managed at the competition.

Vilda later spoke out about the drama, saying he had not considered resigning.

He said: "It would be unfair, for what we created in the past and are in the present."

However, Vilda picked three of the 15 Spain players who mutinied against him in his World Cup 2023 squad.

The team snubbed Vilda as they celebrated reaching the final.

What is Jorge Vilda's net worth?

Reports suggest Vilda has an estimated net worth between £1.5million and £4million.

He has likely amassed this fortune through his work as a football coach in Spain.

The manager is thought to take home over £354,000 annually.