Despite the Spanish federation’s manipulation of the women’s football team, former president Rubiales’ non-consensual kiss on Jenni Hermoso, which shook the very foundations of the institution – with dismissals and resignations at all levels – and football in general, the team has gotten used to it reacting too demandingly with the microphone in hand and the ball between his feet. There was a reason they were the world champions in Australia and New Zealand, and there was a reason they won the first two games of the Nations League when they barely had time to train, as meetings to change sexist attitudes some of the players in Took ‘ time that it gave up putting the jersey back on until the changes were latent, now collected and implemented with the contract of Oliva between the RFEF, the CSD and the players. As the atmosphere calms down, Spain once again demands the ball and protagonism on the pitch, the leaders of their group with games like victories (Sweden and Switzerland), now against Italy in Salerno.
“It was a very difficult World Cup to win in which we saw the greatest competition between 23 footballers who showed great performance and incredible style. This is what the world needs to see and copy. It is strange that it has not been possible to bring it to light and I hope that I can do it in time,” explained coach Montse Tomé in the press conference before the game against the Azurri. Strictly speaking, the majority of the players did not fully confirm Tomé’s commitment to take over the bench, especially because it was a line in continuity with the previous coach Jorge Vilda – she was his deputy – which they tactically and above all also seen as fair and controlling. It didn’t help that Tomé forced players to wear the jersey when they were first called up, threatening to revoke their license if they refused. But the conversations took place both collectively and individually, since the coach has held various meetings with the players in these days and the footballers have seen that since the conciliatory stance they have gained a lot of power socially, but also within the national team and Tomés wide sleeve is used to plan the holidays and the rules – to the point that it was the football players who chose the first two captains (Irene Paredes and Alexia) and the third (Olga Carmona) who chose her as coach – but not the lineups or the tactical concepts. This can be seen, for example, with Alexia, who plays for Barcelona as a 9 and for Spain as a 6 or 8. “We respect what they do in their clubs. We’ve seen her play good nine-man games, but we think of her as an interior player. “Alexia interprets the game well and knows at all times what she has to do within the role or boundaries that she is playing,” decided Tomé.
Although there is still some tension in the corridors of Las Rozas, the air flows into the team and the team embraces the coach as the victories are celebrated. Furthermore, now that the changes have been signed and already implemented, the players are concentrating on the ball. “Unlike the last concentration, we are physically more rested and fresher,” agreed midfielder Tere Abelleira; “We are at a different point and now we only talk about football. So we are seen with an additional rhythm. We will do what we can with the ball, it worked the other time and we will continue in this line.” It is assumed that Jenni Hermoso will be in the team that missed the first call because the Coach, as she said, wanted to protect her. Now he is with the group. “We had to fight for our partner so that she felt protected. At the time we didn’t notice the association’s support, but after the meetings we started walking together,” said Abelleira.
The path now lies through the Nations League, a competition that provides safe entry to the Olympic Games, a tournament in which the team has never taken part. And it is Italy. “She is a very competitive competitor, on a defensive level she manages multiple registers and has the ability to get out quickly and get into the opposition area with quite a few players. After the analysis against Switzerland and Sweden, we made an assessment, thought about what we could do and are already looking forward to tomorrow’s game,” explained Tomé. And he added: “Spain has a lot of talent. Our responsibility is to command it and see how we can attack and fight the rival. We have been thinking about the eleven since the beginning of the concentration, tracking the current condition of the players and studying the rival in advance. But we decided on the eleven on the last day because we evaluate everything again, put the information on the table and the coaching staff tells me what they feel and see, and in the end I make the decisions. Firmly in the technical area and forgiving in the locker room.
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