Jorge Vilda may have delivered World Cup glory to Spain, but he will be remembered in a negative light by some for his role in their triumphant run.
The head coach, who was booed by some fans after the final, had survived a player revolt before the tournament and was viewed as one of Rubiales’ closest allies.
By his side on the touchline was Montse Tome, his assistant coach who became his successor a few weeks after the final whistle blew in Australia.
The decision to appoint the former Spain midfielder was not a popular one.
Tome, who had never previously been a head coach, was seen as a continuation of the previous regime, while many thought the world champions deserved a world-class coach.
“The thing is, before the World Cup when she was Vilda’s assistant, players liked her,” Spanish journalist Maria Tikas said. “She was the person in the staff that they could talk to, and she was close to the players.
“But after the World Cup, she changed and they didn’t like her because if you remember when Rubiales said ‘I’m not going to step aside’, Montse Tome was applauding.”
Slowly but surely, tensions have reduced for Tome but it was been a rollercoaster start to the 43-year-old’s tenure.
While she was at the helm as Spain won the inaugural Women’s Nations League in February 2024, their fourth-place finish five months later at the Paris Olympics was deemed a failure.
“In terms of experience, Luis de la Fuente didn’t have much experience at senior level, and it worked well,” Balague said.
“So the federation considers the people that know the generations of players and have worked in the federation are good enough to run a football side.”