Jorge Vilda explains why he went to talk to Jenni Hermoso's brother

BarcelonaThe former coach of the Spanish women's football team has been the star of the fourth day of statements in the trial for the non-consensual kiss between Luis Rubiales and Jenni Hermoso. Vilda, who began working at the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) in 2006, took over the reins of the Spanish women's national team in 2015 and was dismissed on September 5 due to the scandal surrounding the forced kiss by the former president of the RFEF.

Vilda made the longest statement today in a day in which Albert Luque, sports director of the RFEF throughout the conflict, and Rubén Rivera, former marketing director of the federation, also participated. The former coach denied that he saw the kiss because "during the medal ceremony he was second to last in line." Regarding how, after the kiss, the ball was getting bigger, Vilda said: "I heard comments during the celebration on the pitch. Nobody gave the kiss the slightest importance." And she added: "At that time I was also informed that my daughter had had abdominal pain, and they had to attend to the doctors. I was in the locker room for a very short time. I attended to my daughter and the press conference after the final."

On the bus on the way to the airport to return to Spain, the coach said that he heard "celebratory chants and kisses from"Kiss, kiss, press, press", but he did not give it much importance at that time: "I was waiting for my wife and daughter to be able to travel. I have known Jenni Hermoso and her family for more than 17 years. I did not perceive anything [about Jenni Hermoso's affectation]. Until then I had only perceived joy, celebration, syringe... At the airport I was with Olga Carmona, who had recently lost her father, and her family - continued Vilda -. On the bus, Rubiales told me that they had asked him about the kiss and that he had answered wrong. I did not pay much attention to him and continued on my way, attentive to the mobile phone." The former coach has said that it was on the plane where he began to be aware of "all the media fuss that was being made."

The contradictions in Jorge Vilda's statement

"On the plane, there was talk of what could be done to stop this whole curve. The possibility of making a joint statement was studied. The press people [of the RFEF] were very active," said Vilda, who had a couple of seats ahead of her in Rubiales. "Rubiales did not ask me to speak to Jenni's brother. I did it on my own initiative. Seeing the media relevance that the kiss had, I began to worry, because more importance was being given to the kiss than to the great success we had achieved. allusion. My concern was to think that the team was fine."

Asked why he did not go to speak directly with Jenni Hermoso, the coach defended himself: "I was worried about her situation, but I did not go to speak to her so as not to bother her. She was with her friends, celebrating. I wanted to respect that." Vida added that "since the World Cup" he has not spoken to her. "She said here that she was hurt because I hadn't asked her how she was. I should have. During the celebration, everything was joy. No one had any alarm bells ringing [during a 20-hour plane ride back to Spain]."

This is when Vilda started to get involved. "Jennifer was behind me. I didn't see her cry, but she did have a certain worried look on her face, looking at her phone. I went to speak to her brother to try to normalise the situation, thinking about the future and my national team." But why did she go to speak to Hermoso's brother and not to her? "Because after 20 years in the profession, I know how media pressure affects it. I speak with her brother about how all the media pressure could affect Jenni. When I speak with the brother [on the plane], I notify the president. [The brother] was sleeping and there, I was able to speak with . im the conversation with her brother, Victoriano [close friend of Jennifer Hermoso and who Vilda then says she did not know]. We have a conversation of no more than five minutes. Let's talk a little about football and how good her sister had been.

The mess is because Vilda says she went to speak with her brother on her own initiative, but at the same time she has admitted that she alerted Rubiales before and after the conversation, to tell him that Hermoso's brother would try to speak with her. She also admitted that she told Hermoso "if we could find a formula to normalize the situation. I didn't specify if it was a video or some other type of communication." This is what Rubiales wanted, to calm the waters regarding a scandal that was growing by leaps and bounds in the media. "He [brother] didn't tell me that she had denied it. His brother told me that he would talk to her," regarding the possibility of making this communication, Vilda said, when questioned about why she asked her brother that Jennifer Hermoso participate in some type of public communication when she had already refused and she knew it. "I wanted to normalize the situation. Thinking about Jenni and the media pressure that would affect her and the team. I spoke to her brother because he was calmer, colder. I didn't talk to him about Rubiales."

Vilda has also denied that she tried to coerce her through her brother. "I didn't tell her that [not making a public statement with the RFEF] would affect her career, that it would have personal or family consequences. I never told her brother this. I only expressed my concern about what that media burden could convey to Jenni," the coach said, contradicting the accusation's version. "Nobody, not even from thestaff, nor any of her family, told me that Jenni was feeling pressured [during the return flight and the stairs to Doha]. What I thought, because I was a bit grimacing, was that she didn't like everything she was reading in the media, like everyone else," Vilda also defended in a statement that leaves a few shadows.