Jorge Vilda: "There will be women training in men's soccer sooner than we expect"

Jorge Vilda

(Madrid, 39 years old) has been working for a decade in the women's sections of the Spanish soccer team.

He accumulated successes with the U-17 and U-19 from 2010 to 2015, and was appointed coach of the senior team after the resignation of Ignacio Quereda, who left his post 27 years after the 23 players called up for the World Cup in Canada 2015 asked for his departure and denounced the shortcomings in the preparation of the tournament.

In the heat of the growth of Barça and Atlético and the new batch of players - Vilda also won the Eurocup with the U19 in 2018 - women's football in Spain has risen one step after another in the last five years.

Vilda achieved in 2019 the first victory of the team in a World Cup, a milestone that ended with the elimination in the second round against the United States, ultimately world champion, despite the good performance of La Roja.

This Friday, Spain takes on the Czech Republic (21.00, Teledeporte) - second in the group with 10 points, the same as the national team, which has one less game - at the La Cartuja Stadium, where there will be 800 spectators, in looking for qualification for the Eurocup in England 2022.

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Question.

How do the casualties of two regular starters, Lucía García and Jenni Hermoso, influence the game?

Answer.

It's not just the two of them.

Unfortunately, in this concentration there have been many casualties: Sandra Paños, Leila [Ouahabi], Ona [Batlle], Amanda Sampedro, Alba Redondo ... in addition to those who are still recovering, such as Nahikari or Andrea Falcón.

The best thing about women's football in Spain is that there are warranty replacements.

Players come for the first time, but with a very good letter of introduction because they have achieved great results in lower categories.

Q.

Are you worried about what the coronavirus could cause again this season?

The data keeps getting worse in Europe.

R.

In the situation we are in, it is best to think day by day.

You have to enjoy how privileged we are to train, to have a match on Friday against the Czech Republic in La Cartuja with an audience for the first time, even if there are 800 people.

We are very excited.

Some concern?

Well, yes we can have it for what may come, but first it is the state of the country, of the pandemic, and then it will be football.

Q. You

said at a press conference that the team that wins will have a very clear path for direct qualification to Euro 2022. In Prague, Spain thrashed 1-5.

Is it an easy match or will it be different?

R.

It is totally different.

First of all, because they have been competing in their regular league since mid-August, and it shows a lot in the competitive pace.

It is a reinforced and motivated team, with a lot of confidence because they come from doing two very good results against Poland, which a priori we thought would be the rival [with whom to fight for the first place in the group], but now it is clearly the Czech Republic .

It is the party of everything for everything.

They know that adding up can make them very expensive, and that by beating us they have the direct classification there.

P.

Spain presses up to stifle the opponent's ball exit, builds the game from behind and uses the 4-3-3 a lot.

Is it similar what Jorge Vilda and Luis Enrique want to do with the national teams?

R.

The style of the Spanish team is recognizable.

Each coach has their contributions, their influences, but it is true that if you see a team from the women's or men's section play, even if they changed our shirt and put a transparent one on us, everyone would say: “this is Spain”.

P.

If you get the classification, what will be the objective in the Eurocup?

R.

Now talking about objectives in the Euro catches us a bit far.

You have to qualify first, but it is a very motivating Euro because being able to play in England, seeing the venues, seeing the stadiums ... In the talks we have commented on it and we all get the creeps.

Q.

There are very few female coaches in elite Spanish football.

There are only María Pry in Levante and Natalia Arroyo in La Real.

Are you missing references?

R.

It is very important that they appear.

We are already having references of footballers.

When the girls start to play, they want to look like many of the national team players.

Having references —which are beginning to appear and María Pry and Natalia are two very good— is the next step.

It is a matter of time, and not only that they are in women's football, but that women also enter the men's football bench.

Q.

Do you think it will be easy to take that step?

R.

What the leaders in the elite are looking for is to have the most prepared people, the most qualified and who can get the most performance.

That is above gender.

I think there will be women sooner than we expect.

Q.

How has women's football changed in Spain in the last decade?

A.

There are improvements in all aspects.

Years ago, clubs didn't have a

of five, seven, ten people;

now they have an analyst, psychologist, nutritionist ... that was not there before.

The multidisciplinary work of these professionals is reflected in the level of the players.

P.

Why are there people who still have prejudices with women's football?

What would you say?

R.

We know the exponential growth that has occurred in the last five years.

The line of work is there and the players are known and recognized by society.

Above all, I am left with the feeling of the summer after the World Cup, with the recognition that came when arriving in Spain.

The selection has been able to excite the masses, and that is an extra motivation to continue.

Qualifying for Euro 2022

Spain is the first classified in group D with ten points, the same as the Czech Republic, which have one more game.

La Roja, due to the coronavirus pandemic, has postponed the match against Azerbaijan in Baku, which should have been played on September 16.

In the first leg against the Czech Republic, which was held in Prague in October 2019, Spain beat the Central Europeans 1-5.

The third classified in the group is Poland, with eight points.

Azerbaijan has three and Moldova has zero.

The first of each group get the direct ticket for the tournament.

The three best seconds are also classified, while the other six seconds will play a 'playoffs' to define the last three places.