Montse Tome's Appointment as Spain's Women's Football Coach

Montse Tome has been appointed as the first-ever female head coach of the Spanish women’s national team following the shocking dismissal of Jorge Vilda, who led the team to their maiden World Cup title this summer. Vilda had a turbulent time in charge, with 15 players from the squad staging a ‘mutiny’ against him last year, accusing him of mistreatment, favoritism, and poor tactics. Many of them retired from international football or were excluded from the World Cup squad.

Vilda’s situation worsened after the World Cup final, where RFEF president Luis Rubiales grabbed and kissed Jenni Hermoso, one of Spain’s star players, without her consent during the trophy presentation. The incident caused a huge uproar and led to FIFA suspending Rubiales from all football-related activities for 90 days, as well as removing him as RFEF president. Rubiales had been a loyal supporter of Vilda, promising to renew his contract after the World Cup. However, he could not keep his word after being sidelined by FIFA and facing pressure from within the RFEF. Vilda was informed of his sacking on Tuesday morning, with Tome being announced as his successor later that day.

Tome is a former Levante and Barcelona player who won four league titles and two Copa de la Reina trophies during her career. She retired in 2012 and pursued a coaching career, obtaining a UEFA Pro License. She joined Vilda’s staff in 2017 and helped him prepare the team for the World Cup. She initially resigned from her role after the final, expressing her discomfort with Rubiales’ behavior and Vilda’s management. However, she was persuaded to return by the RFEF, who saw her as the ideal candidate to take over from Vilda.

Tome will face the challenging task of rebuilding the team’s morale and unity, as well as maintaining their high level of performance on the pitch. She will have to deal with the absence of some key players, such as Hermoso, who announced her retirement from international football after the World Cup. She will also have to integrate some new faces into the squad, such as young talents like Claudia Pina and Eva Navarro.

Montse’s first game in charge will be a friendly against Sweden on September 22, followed by a UEFA Nations League match against Switzerland on September 26. She will also have to prepare the team for the European Championship next year, where Spain will hope to defend their title and continue their dominance in women’s football.