Jorge Vilda (Madrid, 1981) attends AS in Rabat after taking photos with fans. They know him. The women’s coach is part of a federation plan and that of King Mohammed VI with which to take Morocco to the top in all categories.
Is Morocco the next great football power?
We have been working here for two and a half years and from the first moment everything they presented to us was a huge, ambitious project, with a very strong investment. Some time ago, King Mohammed VI said that sports – including women’s sports – had to be promoted and the entire country began to work hard on it. That’s where we are.
The response is being very good…
Just by traveling to cities you see cranes building stadiums and training fields, as well as other venues for people to play on the street. That helps. Wherever you go, on beaches, in the streets, people are playing football… The federation has made a very strong commitment to the national teams and also little by little to its competitions.
How important is the support of institutions?
As a country in Africa, the support of the king and the stability that it offers helps a lot. There are not as many changes that can change the direction as in other countries. The commitment to sport and football is clear, very great. This allows us to grow very quickly. In the end this is a race. Everyone wants to improve, but the one who invests the most and bets the most usually improves the rest.
The Rabat stadium is impressive.
Everyone in the African Cup is looking at the organization and infrastructure, but first there is the previous work. Stadiums have been built in record time, impressive stadiums, as seen in the semifinal at the Maulay Abdellah, in Rabat, with 65,000 spectators. There are stadiums like this all over Morocco.
Is the complex where you train, the Mohammed VI, better than many Europeans?
It’s impressive. I haven’t seen anything like it in the world, really. And I know pretty much all the important ones, including the professional ones. It is of the highest level. It has 13 natural grass fields in perfect condition, two with artificial grass, one covered, four residences, a clinic with two operating rooms to operate, a recovery center for footballers – which will be the one in all of Africa -, and its area is between 25 and 30 hectares. A joy to work there.
Does investing mean earning?
The demand is maximum, of course. The president tells us: when Morocco plays a tournament it is to win it. In the feminine it takes less time to work and a process is still needed. Still, in the last two African Cups we reached the final. There is also a lot of work being done in the youth team. The conditions are very good, they give you everything, but the demands are maximum. I like working like this.
Morocco is finding real talent in the diaspora.
It is important to have a scouting department to discover players who can represent Morocco. Players who have a level, with parents, families and even grandparents who are Moroccan and can be convinced. It’s a way to improve. There is also the local player, who is helped by improving the league, and also other Moroccans who play outside of Morocco.
They say that Casablanca is fighting to snatch the 2030 World Cup final from the Bernabéu…
I’m not going to get wet (laughs). I am Spanish. If the final were in Spain I would be very happy; and if it were in Morocco, with the work they are doing, it would also be a great headquarters. What I would like is for the final to be Spain-Morocco. What is clear is that the stadiums here are magnificent. I have not yet seen the one they are doing between Rabat and Casablanca, which will have a capacity of 120,000 spectators, but I am sure it will be spectacular.
Will Morocco be the first African country to win a World Cup?
Could be. We work for it. Men’s football is much more developed and can aspire to anything, without a doubt. We still have work to do at the global level, but the goal is that: one day to be world champions. The boys came fourth in the last World Cup. They reached the semi-finals, which was the first time an African team had done so. It was a very big success. After the great African Cup they are having, they have more options.
There is a state of euphoria declared in the country and wherever Moroccans are in the world.
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It’s impressive. The passion with which football is lived here is difficult to match. The stadiums are always full, both men’s and women’s. If there is a badminton match, they fill it up too. They are people who love their country. In the semi-finals there were 65,000 people singing the anthem and your hair stood on end. It is passion for good and bad (laughs). They are the two extremes. I feel privileged to be part of this.
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