Tomé’s Departure Confirmed
The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has confirmed that Montse Tomé will leave her role as head coach of the women’s national team at the end of August, when her contract expires.
From Assistant to Head Coach
Tomé was appointed in September 2023, having previously served as assistant to Jorge Vilda. She took charge shortly after Spain’s first Women’s World Cup title, replacing Vilda following his dismissal. His departure came amid fallout from the actions of then-RFEF president Luis Rubiales, who kissed forward Jenni Hermoso without her consent during the medal ceremony, an incident that sparked widespread criticism and reform calls within Spanish football.
Hermoso Controversy
In her first squad announcement, Tomé opted to leave Hermoso out, saying the decision was intended to protect the player. Hermoso later publicly disagreed with the reasoning, saying, “I did not get it and will never understand the reason, but it’s something that has happened now and the best thing for me is to be here, wearing the shirt and playing again.”
On-Field Achievements
On the pitch, Tomé guided Spain to the 2023–24 UEFA Nations League title and to the final of UEFA Women’s Euro 2025 in Basel, where they were defeated by England in the penalty shootout after the match was equalised 1-1. Mariona Caldentey opened the scoring with a header in the 25th minute. Despite this strong start, England mounted a comeback in the second half: substitute Chloe Kelly delivered the cross that Alessia Russo headed in to equalise. The tightly contested match ended 1–1 after extra time, and England retained their title by prevailing 3–1 in the penalty shootout.
RFEF’s Acknowledgement
In a statement released on social media, the RFEF thanked Tomé for “her work, professionalism and dedication in various roles during her time as a member of the national teams at the RFEF, especially during her time as the national team coach.”
Bermúdez Takes Charge
The federation has appointed Sonia Bermúdez, head coach of the under-23 team, as Tomé’s successor. Bermúdez will be joined by Iraia Iturregi as second coach.
Bermúdez’s Career and Coaching Success
Bermúdez, a former Spain international forward, scored 35 goals in 63 appearances and enjoyed a decorated club career with Rayo Vallecano, Barcelona, Western New York Flash, Atlético Madrid and Levante, winning nine league titles and three Copa de la Reina trophies. In coaching, she has led Spain’s under-19 and under-20 women’s teams to consecutive European titles before taking over the under-23 side.
Iturregi’s Football Journey
Iturregi spent 15 seasons in Spain’s top flight, winning four league titles with Athletic Club, and has built a coaching career in club and youth football.
Next Assignment
Bermúdez and Iturregi’s first assignment will be preparing Spain for their UEFA Women’s Nations League clash against Sweden in October, as they begin the next international cycle following the European Championship.
In case you missed out: India U20 Football girls team also made history recently. Check out the news here.
Yash Desai is a renowned journalist with over 10+ years of experience covering sports around the world. He began his career as a News Reporter in Delhi, India, and got an opportunity to cover several World events, including the Olympics, Paralympics, and World Games. He often felt that women’s sports are sidelined and given step-motherly treatment by the mainstream media. To bridge this gap and to build an equal playing field, Yash co-founded FemaleInSports and is currently working as a Lead Editor here.
