Spain's Women's National Team Changes Coach After Euro 2025 Final

Spain’s women’s national soccer team is undergoing a coaching transition just two weeks after finishing as runners-up in the European Championship. The Spanish soccer federation announced on Monday that Montse Tomé, who guided the team to the final, will not have her contract renewed and will be succeeded by former player Sonia Bermúdez. The federation also appointed Iraia Iturregi, another ex-Spain player, as the team’s second coach.

The decision to change coaches was made by the federation’s board members, despite Tomé leading Spain to the Euro 2025 final, which ended in a penalty shootout loss against England on July 27. The board expressed appreciation for Tomé's dedication and professionalism during her time with the national teams, emphasizing her contributions as both a coach and in her various roles with the federation.

Tomé took over as head coach after Jorge Vilda, who previously led the team to victory in the 2023 World Cup. During her tenure, she also secured Spain’s first Women’s Nations League title in 2024. Despite her contract being set to expire at the end of the month, Tomé’s season was significantly impacted by a scandal involving former federation president Luis Rubiales, who faced legal actions for a nonconsensual kiss directed at player Jenni Hermoso during the World Cup awards ceremony.

Since Rubiales' conviction for sexual assault, there has been an atmosphere of improvement and reform within the team, addressing the outdated practices concerning women's soccer in Spain. In the wake of the changes, Bermúdez, who captained the national team and has a notable playing career with clubs like Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, steps into her new role. She was previously coaching youth teams, including the under-23 squad, after retiring from professional play in 2020.

The board involved in this coaching decision consisted of 30 members, with an emphasis on gender equality as half of them were women. Looking ahead, Spain’s national team is preparing for its next match in October, where they will compete in the semifinals of the Nations League.