The inside story of Montse Tomé's dismissal, a national team coach in the spotlight before the European Championship: "They kept her on to take the fall for Jenni Hermoso."

The national team coaches for the U-17 and U-14 categories have been falling like playing cards. Reyes Bellver , a lawyer and former advisor to the FUTPRO union, joined the Royal Spanish Football Federation in February of this year with the clear aim of revamping the entire women's game, of which she is the director, but there was one card missing from the deck. With Kenio Gonzalo and Laura del Río , coaches in those categories, eliminated yesterday it was the turn of the senior national team coach Montse Tomé .

Sources familiar with the ins and outs of this non-renewal, not dismissal (the national team coach's contract expired on August 31), explain to EL MUNDO that "her future was sealed before the European Championship." The idea was to paint it as "a change of pace." Even if Spain had won the tournament on penalties against England in the final in Bern, the decision would not have changed.

These same sources assure that the timing is no coincidence. Tomé was retained with the clear intention of "taking the blame for not bringing in Jenni Hermoso," a player with significant influence within the national team and an unwitting protagonist of the women's soccer revolution following the Rubiales case . They also maintain that, as the national team coach has stated on occasion, there has been no contact with the Tigres de la UANL player in the Mexican First Division.

The Federation and the coach herself took "time" to reflect after the conclusion of the European Championship, which the Spanish team came close to winning. However, last Friday, August 8, all the federation's machinery was set in motion to initiate the handover. The Board of Directors was convened with the coach's position on the agenda, and Rafael Louzán 's entourage informed Tomé herself that she would no longer lead one of the best women's national teams in history.

They say that Tomé , who never expresses her emotions, already knew she wouldn't be continuing before the start of the continental tournament. In the midst of the European Championship, Reyes Bellver had met with the five captains of the women's team: Irene Paredes, Alexia Putellas, Olga Carmona, Mariona Caldentey , and Aitana Bonmatí . The director had approached them about a change in the national team's position, but they excused themselves by saying they were only players and had no say in the federation's decisions. And today, although shocked, they remain outside the decision that has been made and will not publicly question it.

The RFEF's Board of Directors ultimately announced the non-renewal of Montse Tomé's contract and proposed Sonia Bermúdez as her replacement. Some interpreted the now former national team coach, Jorge Vilda 's right-hand woman coach, with whom the team won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, as the last survivor of Rubialism in the women's team, but Bermúdez was another who applauded the former president's controversial speech in which he announced his refusal to resign. However, both subsequently signed a statement expressing "their firmest and most emphatic condemnation of the conduct displayed by the president of the Spanish Football Federation."

A questionable relief

The RFEF Board of Directors meeting was "the most tense" of Louzán 's time as president of the organization, according to sources present. After announcing Tomé 's dismissal, the former Vallecas player was proposed for her two continental titles won with the U-19s, but Iraia Iturregi was also chosen to lead the women's team.

Although the Board approved the appointment by a majority, Irene Ferreras , a member of the body, voted against it, explaining that she considered Bermúdez to be an inexperienced coach. She also had to ask about the performance indicators that led to the decision, as she revealed that, despite being a full member, she had only learned about it through the press. Ferreras opposed the appointment and pointed out that referring to a "tandem," as the RFEF announced in its statement, reflects the need to appoint a highly qualified individual like Iturregi in case Bermúdez doesn't measure up.

Cuts to women's soccer

For now, in addition to Tomé's departure, the RFEF Board of Directors meeting reduced the women's football budget by half a million euros and eliminated the U-23 national team. David Aznar will be the national U-19 and U-20 coach, and Milagros Martínez will be the U-17 coach.

With the departure of Montse Tomé, Reyes Bellver has finally cleaned up the alleged Rubialism. Tomé leaves the national team as Nations League champion and Euro Cup runner-up.