The new Spanish coach, Montse Tomé, finally presented this afternoon at the Las Rozas Football City the call for the matches against Sweden and Switzerland in the Nations League, and the surprise was to see 15 of the players on the list. who competed in the World Cup (and others who had given up going to the World Cup, such as Patri Guijarro and Mapi León) and have given up returning to the national team until there is a profound restructuring in the Federation. Jenni Hermoso is not among those selected.
At no point did Tomé say that he had convinced the players to rectify and change their position and simply appealed to their professionalism. “I am convinced that they will be here tomorrow. I trust them. They love their profession and come from being world champions. “Today we start from scratch.”
Tomé stressed several times about starting a new stage and did say he had spoken with the soccer players: “We are all clear that we have experienced an exceptional situation. The Federation has worked to be able to talk to them and we have listened to them. What I have talked about with them stays between us. We are all part of this, and the key is to have good communication. We are very excited and we are facing a competition that is very important.”
The new coach explained why she did not call up Jenni Hermoso: “We are with Jenni in everything and with all the players. We believe that the way to help them is to be with them. I, who am the most responsible, have believed that the best way to protect it was not to summon it. I have been working with her for five years and I have coincided with her as her partner because I have played against her,” she stated.
The coach wanted to distance herself from her five-year period as second to her predecessor, the dismissed Jorge Vilda: “It is true that I have worked for five years with Vilda, but I am not Jorge Vilda. I am Montse Tomé; I am a different person and with a different personality and with different values. All the players know me and I know what they think and feel about me. I feel grateful to be here today. I know that it is a privileged position and I am going to do it with the greatest work and humility. The truth is that we really want to start this stage,” she insisted.
Asked if we are already in the changes that the players demanded to return to the national team, she commented: “I have experienced football from the mud and I know where I come from. When I came to the Federation it is not the same as it is now. Our players also had other resources and abilities. That has changed. The best way to grow is to build. We want to contribute what we have. A professional work environment begins, in which I trust. My people are going to give it to me.”
She had more difficulty explaining her applause for Luis Rubiales in the assembly in which the former president announced that he was not going to resign: “I applauded twice, when he said that we were all world champions and when he named me director of football.” With a slightly broken voice he said: “The truth is that I didn’t feel well that day. We had to come here because they told us to and we sat there. Everything that happened… I don’t feel part of it. When I went home, when I truly felt calm, I issued the statement (in which he presented his resignation). It was seen what my position is. I support Jenni and I am sorry for what has happened during this time. She is a professional and she loves what she does. She is something she can’t be,” she said.
Tomé was also asked if those not called were for technical reasons. And he again chose not to get wet: “We are starting a new stage and it is something beautiful. All the players have the possibility of being here if they give us what we need. The counter starts at zero, everyone has the same possibilities.”
When asked if any player had asked her not to be called up, she answered with a brief “no.”
