Montse Tomé (La Pola de Siero, Asturias; 41 years old), dressed in her tracksuit and Adidas boots, sometimes with a whistle, almost always hyperactive – because she often went running on her days off – was in charge of the explanation on many occasions The exercises, which are carried out initially on the training grounds in New Zealand and later in Australia, Spain ultimately become world champions. With energetic but tactful speech, always with demanding but loving slogans, Montse made himself popular in the locker room. “We can’t fail here! But I know you’ll do well,” he decided one day as he explained a passing game in a tight space, still in Palmerston North. “I want to see most of you! Like every day…” he emphasized in recent days in Sydney, on a circuit with strength training or anaerobic training. And all the players on the Spanish team smiled and dedicated themselves to the task, which was usually rewarded with a “nice to see you training” at the end of the day. For five years, Montse was Jorge Vilda’s deputy, his right-hand man. Once the coach is fired, Tomé will take over as manager of the team, the first woman to hold the position since the team became official in 1988. Third party manning the bench. “The appointment of Tomé is a response to the recovery measures announced by President Pedro Rocha,” said the RFEF’s official statement.
Montse was a player in her time and defended the shield of Oviedo, Levante and Barcelona, also the Spanish team. Back then, football was more passion than anything else because there were no resources, no big competition, no national teams other than the U18 and senior teams, and two or three people on each coaching staff. Because of what she experienced from the beginning and participated in the change, also thanks to Vilda. It turns out that right after completing the coaching course taught by the same former coach, he called him the next day to tell him if he was interested in becoming his right-hand man. “Trust me, it’s unbelievable,” he replied, as he told As newspaper in an interview in the middle of the World Cup. Although she did it with some reservations, because being the second meant getting to know the first well, finding her way and adapting. And the truth is that they did it quickly, although they were never more united than after the European Championship, when 15 players left the national team because they considered that there was a lack of professionalism and standard in the federation’s services , also in the coaching team. “When one wobbled, the other made more force,” he noted. Until the World Cup ended, until Vilda stood by Rubiales after he gave Jenni Hermoso a non-consensual kiss. It was she, without elaborating, who led the coaching staff’s resignation announcement. A separation that surprised the coach and that prompted Tomé, once again at home, to attack.
Although not all players approve of the change – they see that it is a continuous line – there are some who are happy with Montse and her work, also with the fact that they are coached by a woman. It is not for nothing that when the 15 were declared ineligible to play, some of them set the condition that Vilda should be fired and Natalia Arroyo (Real Sociedad coach) appointed as coach. Rubiales didn’t give in and although the road was winding, the team ended up winning the World Championship. She will definitely be the first woman to hold this position. The first tenant was Ignacio Quereda (1988-2015), who was fired because, like him, he treated the female players with condescension and contempt – “little girls” and “what you need from a macho” were some of his pearls – a demand from one locker room that refused to continue playing under his orders. The second was Vilda (2015-2023), who also did not win the favor of football players because she was controlling from the start and with a training did not satisfy the appetites of some football players who over time have shown why, although during the Players realized that everything had improved a lot, that they were enjoying free time, family and training and were analyzing their rivals.
Tomé is now taking over the baton, which led the senior national team and the U17 and U20 teams to world fame. And this should bring calm, at least it is the first step, because the footballers declared that they would no longer play with the Spanish coat of arms until the change of leadership. And time is of the essence as the UEFA Women’s Nations League is just around the corner as they face Sweden at home on September 22nd and host Switzerland in Córdoba on the 26th.
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