Bosque: 'it's essential not to have a bad atmosphere in the dressing room'

Spain's World Cup winning manager Vicente Del Bosque believes the country's women's team needs to unite behind manager Jorge Vilda to win the World Cup.

La Roja take on England in Sunday's final in Sydney, and the man who won Spain's first-ever World Cup with the men's side in 2010 pointed to the importance of a good dressing room culture following a series of controversies involving Vilda.

He told AS: 'If there is a bad atmosphere in a dressing room, it's a bad situation... It's essential, we'll get closer to success if we have a good atmosphere.

'I'm so glad they made it to the final. Now we are competing with any team and it shows in this World Cup.

'There have been very good people, men and women who have fought for women's football to grow in our country. They have done a fantastic job.'

Del Bosque also claimed that the team's current success is the result of 'seeds of success' that were planted long before Vilda, citing the work of the Spanish Football Federation in promoting the women's game during his time as Spain boss between 2008 and 2016.

He said: 'In 2008, when I arrived at the Federation, I always saw an environment of protection, support and encouragement for women's football.

'I saw that 16 years ago, but the fact is that the Federation has had protection and encouragement for women's football long before that. This is not a matter of a week or a year or two, it is many years of work.

'I think they were already in line [to make it to the final] after the years that have passed, and the effort, the preparation and the support of the Federation.

'This is not born from one day to the next, it is something that was sown well and now, with this final, we reap the fruits.'

His comments will no doubt be a source of friction for some players who have represented Spain in recent years.

Following a quarter-final exit at last year's European Championship, 15  players wrote to the Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) saying they would not be available for selection while Vilda remained manager.

The players, including Barcelona superstar Aitana Bonmati and former Manchester United defender Ona Battle, cited a lack of tactical organisation from the coach and the impact his management style was having on their mental health as the motivation behind the letter.

'We want firm support for a professional project for women's football,' the statement read. 'A project that takes care of every aspect to help us get the best performance possible from a group of players we consider can achieve better and great honours.'

The RFEF responded by publicly backing Vilda and demanding that the players in question apologise if they were to be considered for selection again.

Vilda, who Del Bosque worked alongside whilst he boss of the men's team, was put in charge of the team in 2015 having worked with Spain's youth sides since 2009.

He has largely struggled to help a talented group of players reach their potential, only getting to the quarter-finals in the European Championship twice and losing in the last 16 of the last World Cup in 2019.

However, it is his treatment of the players that has caused greater concern.

For example, up until 2019, there was a rule that senior players were not allowed to shut their doors of their hotel rooms until Vilda had completed a check. Only then, once the manager had left, were the women allowed to lock their doors.

Vilda's father, Angel, is head of the women's department of the RFEF, making it hard to remove him from his position.

Spain secured qualification for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand without any of the members of 'Las 15', but some players decided the opportunity to play at a World Cup was too big to miss.

Three of the 15 were selected by Vilda in his 23 player squad after writing letters of apology, but that does not mean tensions have disappeared Down Under.

The Spanish players have noticeably excluded their coach from on-field celebrations post-match, and Balon d'Or winner Alexia Putellas could be seen pushing away the hands of members of the coaching staff after she was substituted in the semi-final win against Sweden.

Del Bosque described the current mood in the camp as an 'uncomfortable situation for everyone' and expressed sympathy for Vilda by saying that 'for a coach it has to be very unpleasant'.

He ended the interview by saying that he hoped for a Spanish victory on Sunday as it would be 'good for everyone'.