The atmosphere of the Spanish women’s national team remains in turmoil as a result of the scandal generated by the kiss of the former president of the federation of that country, Luis Rubiales, to the player Jenni Hermoso. during the Women’s World Cup awards ceremony, in which La Roja was champion.
The world champion coach, Jorge Vilda, was dismissed, in the middle of a dispute with the players that began more than a year ago. His field assistant, Montse Tomé, was named to replace her in the national team, a name that the RFEF now gives interchangeably to its teams, whether male or female.
However, Tomé’s first call damaged the atmosphere. Hermoso was not called up, with the argument, according to the coach, of ‘protecting her’, to which the player responded almost immediately on her social networks.
Two other players, Patri Guijarro and Mapi León, left the national team’s concentration this Wednesday, before the Nations League match against Sweden, after the agreement that the players reached at dawn with the Federation and the Spanish government to make changes in the federative body. .
“It is a reality that the situation for me and Patri is different from the rest of my colleagues, we already know that there have been no ways to return, in the end we are not in a position to say ‘now you are coming back’, no, this is a process” Mapi León told the media upon leaving the concentration hotel.
“It is true that it is a different situation and it is quite difficult, quite hard personally to be here, obviously, mentally you are not able to be here,” added Patri Guijarro.
Both players were part of the group of 15 players who a year ago had already given up going with the national team as long as there were no changes in the structure and work methods of the national team, so they did not go to the World Cup in Australia either.
The RFEF itself had to release a statement in which it apologized to all the players, especially Jenni Hermoso, for what happened.
🚨 OFFICIAL STATEMENT from the RFEF
🗣”The RFEF wants to show its support to all the internationals who are going through unwanted circumstances; and reiterates its apologies for what happened after the victory in the World Cup to each of them, and in particular, to Jenni Hermoso, immersed… pic.twitter.com/QIm4r24wqi
— Era Women’s Soccer (@Erafutbolfem) September 20, 2023
Montse Tomé would be dismissed and will only direct the next two games
But now, the outlook is much more serious. Montse Tomé’s time as national coach could end abruptly. As revealed by the Spanish newspaper ABC, Tomé will leave office after the matches against Sweden and Switzerland.
“The players wanted the disloyal successor of Jorge Vilda, his former faithful assistant, to leave the bench that same night, but Francos convinced them, ‘you will excuse me’, that there was no time to find a replacement in time to direct the momentous matches against Sweden and Switzerland in the Nations League. ‘Well, these two games and he’s gone.’ No need to say more. The Federation already has the instruction on the table. And he will comply, because if elections are not called for a new assembly tomorrow,” ABC published.
Why the bother with Tomé? According to ABC, “The selected ones do not forgive Tomé for calling them despite his express decision not to do so and for later inventing at a press conference that he had agreed or discussed it with them. And Francos’ immediate subsequent threat (he told them that he would ‘enforce the law’ if they did not attend the call) ended up irritating them.”
That is why they made it a clear condition to continue, to dismiss the coach. Replacing her, at least temporarily, would be Laura del Río, the current Spanish U-23 coach.
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