5 Things to Know About Spain’s New Coach, Montse Tomé

The latest news regarding Spain’s team is the sacking of Vilda after all the controversy that happened since the WWC. The decision was shocking to some, while others welcomed it due to the apparent support that Vilda had for Rubiales despite the sexual harassment that took place. Despite the reasons believed to be behind his firing, the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) stated, “We value his impeccable personal and sporting conduct, being a key piece in the notable growth of women’s football in Spain. During his extensive period, Vilda has been a promoter of the values of respect and sportsmanship in football.” The federation was also quick to announce Vilda’s permanent replacement, Montse Tomé. Here are five things to know about Spain’s new coach.

1. She is a Former Player

Tomé is more than just a coach for the Spanish team. She is also a former player. The 41-year-old coach used to play as a midfielder for three teams: Oviedo Moderno, Barcelona, and Levante. Her debut for Oviedo Moderno was in 2002. In five years with the team, she played 80 games with them. She then moved to Levante and became a Spanish League champion in the 2007/08 season with them. She didn’t stay there for a long time because we saw her moving to Barcelona in 2010 and winning the league in 2012 with them. Then Tomé moved back once again to Oviedo Moderno.

Regarding Tomé’s appearances with the national team, she didn’t play that many games with them, as we only saw her in four matches during the eleven years she spent as a professional player. Her retirement later came in 2012.

2. She Was Vilda’s Assistant

After Vilda’s firing, the federation hired Tomé as his replacement, which is reasonable since Tomé was his assistant coach. The fact that she was Vilda’s assistant will definitely help her lead the team since she is not a stranger to the players and is familiar with their qualities and styles. Tomé has been part of Vilda’s team at the national team since 2018, which is a long enough time to be familiar with the players and learn how to lead a national team of Spain’s quality. In the same year, Tomé earned her UEFA Pro license, enabling her to become a coach.

3. She Coached Several Youth Teams

Before becoming Vilda’s assistant and joining the Spanish team’s staff, Tomé coached several youth teams. Some of the youth teams she coached include Valdesoto CF, Oviedo Moderno, and CD Romanón. Tomé also coached some of Spain’s youth national teams while still an assistant for Vilda.

For example, after Toña Is left her position as Spain’s Under-17s coach, Tomé became in charge of the team while she was still part of the senior team’s staff. However, this didn’t last for long since Kenio Gonzalo later replaced her, and she then remained with Vilda’s team.

4. She Resigned After the World Cup

After Luis Rubiales nonconsensually kissed forward Jenni Hermoso during the team’s celebrations for winning the WWC, he refused to resign as RFEF president. This led to many of Spain’s staff, including Tomé, to resign with only Vilda remaining as he didn’t resign along with them. Those who left included four assistants for Spain’s senior team, five staff members from the senior and youth women’s teams, and two assistants from the women’s youth team.

5. She is The First Female Coach for Spain

Hiring Tomé as Spain’s new head coach is a historical event, making her the first female coach to hold that position in Spain. Tomé also became Spain’s fourth head coach, following the three other male national team coaches. They were Teodoro Nieto (1981-1988), Ignacio Quereda (1988-2015), and Vilda (2015-2023). After Tomé’s hiring, we will have to wait to see if Spain’s players will decide to return to the national team or not. Many can’t help but notice the timing of hiring the first female coach, as it could appear to be just a step to make people forget about what happened and the sexism in the Spanish federation.

Tomé’s first appearance as Spain’s new coach will happen soon since she is expected to name her first squad on September 15. She won’t have much time to prepare before her new team meets Sweden on September 22 during the UEFA Women’s Nations League. After that, they will play against Switzerland on September 26. RFEF has even said about Tomé that she has “established herself as a key player in the national team’s growth.” We hope that hiring Tomé will be the decision the players were waiting for.

Featured image via Getty Images

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