WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Jenni Hermoso opens up on Jorge Vilda ‘control’ in interview
Hermoso spoke to ‘Planeta Calleja’ about the attitude of Jorge Vilda towards the players when he was Spain manager.
Spanish national team player and World Cup winner Jennifer Hermoso was the guest of the first episode of the television show Planeta Calleja for the new season.
During her adventure in Iceland as part of the show, the new Tigres player discussed with host Jesús Calleja how she has been feeling over recent months, reflecting on her experience of winning the Women’s World Cup, as well as addressing the controversy surrounding the kiss with former RFEF president Luis Rubiales – a case that is currently under inspection in court.
‘We had to leave the door open and wait for Vilda to come in’
In the preview broadcast by Spanish channel Cuatro, Calleja directly asked Jenni: “Tell me everything you didn’t like about the Federation and what you wanted to change.” In response, the player explains, “well, it was the little things. For instance, when it was time to sleep, we had to leave the door open and wait for him to come in at night to talk to us. He would claim that it was the only time he had to communicate with us, despite having the entire day... from the first player to the last one. Sometimes, players would fall asleep before he reached the last one.”
She also disclosed another daily example of the control they experienced under former coach Jorge Vilda, stating, “or when we went shopping, he would wait for us to inquire about what we were carrying in our bags.”
Jenni open up on ‘courage’ to confront situation
At another point in the Icelandic experience, Calleja asks Hermoso, ‘were you aware of everything that would happen to you if you reported him?’ To this, Hermoso responds, ‘yes, and I am also aware that if I hadn’t taken that step, if I had admitted at that time to create a video stating that nothing had happened, it was very clear to me that I could have gained certain advantages off the field that would have been beneficial.”
“However”, she continued, “I mustered the courage, felt the strength, and, above all, believed I was doing the right thing. It was the only course of action that prevailed in that moment.’”