Spain boss Vilda vows to keep going as rebellion forces his hand for double header

Jorge Vilda has insisted he has no plans to quit as head coach of the Spain women's team after a player rebellion forced him to name a squad massively understaffed on Friday.

The beleaguered boss left captain Irene Paredes and top scorer Jenni Hermoso out of his squad for top-flight friendlies against Sweden and the United States, while 15 others wrote last week to the Spanish federation – the RFEF – to say that they did not want to play for Vilda.

At the time, the group of players said via email that the decision was made for the sake of their "emotional state".

Vilda spoke at length about the crisis at a press conference, shortly after revealing her weakened squad for the October 7 game against Sweden, and the game against the United States, which will take place four days later.

The reasoning behind player positions has yet to be crystallized. Vilda may now have an idea of ​​their concerns, after admitting he was initially "confused", but he wouldn't detail any recent discussions.

His opinion is that he should be allowed to continue in his role, and when asked if he had ever considered quitting, his response was unequivocal.

“At no time,” he said. “Because of injustice and because of everything we have created in the past. Because of the energy and strength I have to carry on."

He urged players who objected to playing for him to come forward: "I would like them to say face-to-face why they made this decision and why they disagree."

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Vilda declined to talk about Hermoso and Paredes, saying he preferred to discuss the players he picked. Hermoso gave his support to the Rebels on Wednesday, while Ballon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas, who is currently injured, also backed the disenchanted players' stance.

Defender Paredes and playmaker Putellas are Barcelona players, while striker Hermoso is with Mexican club Pachuca.