Tranquility and the Spanish team seem to be two concepts that are difficult to coexist. One after another, the red rallies accumulate embarrassing situations that are difficult to explain. The last one, last Friday against Italy, when Spain took the field in the second half with ten players. But it has not been the only controversy since Montse Tomé took over from Jorge Vilda at the head of the senior team.
The Asturian debuted in office with an explosive list in which she called up footballers who had not shown themselves eligible. The internationals had to go against their will to the call to avoid being sanctioned and the Higher Sports Council (CSD) had to mediate in the conflict that was resolved with a meeting until the early hours of the morning in Oliva (Valencia).
In his second concentration at the helm, the Federation made a serious error by not uploading the correct squad for the match against Switzerland to the UEFA computer system. At first they claimed that it was a computer error, but it turned out to be a human mistake committed by the team representative. This meant that Irene Paredes, Esther González, Mariona Caldentey and Ivana Andrés were left without playing.
And the third time was not the charm. Montse Tomé was once again responsible for an unusual situation in the last match against Italy. Spain took the field after the break with ten players and in the midst of the confusion, conceded the tie due to a defensive error. Despite ending up losing to Italy, Sweden's defeat against Switzerland allowed the red team to certify their place in the Nations League semi-finals, but the image that the team gave was once again that of a team that has a long way to go to be professional. .
But why did Spain come out with ten after the break? The answer lies in a tense discussion that took place in the Spanish locker room at the end of the first half. Tomé burst in very angry with the performance of his soccer players, whom she reproached for their play. The soccer players witnessed the scene astonished, especially Aitana Bonmatí who was one of the most highlighted by the coach. The tension was such that the Blaugrana, who was going through a flu process, ended up staying in the locker room, but Tomé forgot to tell Esther González that she had to go out, so Spain started with one less and the Gotham forward had than leaving without warming up. “The information arrived late. The staff has to be able to act much sooner, you can't let the team start the second half with ten,” Esther herself confessed to RNE after the game. A version that contradicts Tomé's words at the end of the match, in which she pointed directly to the Barça midfielder: "We start with one less because Aitana notifies us late that she is not available."
The Catalan player did not exercise on Sunday due to the flu she was going through, but yesterday she completed the session with the rest of the group and will be available to face Sweden. We will have to see how the last concentration of the year ends, but the truth is that the discomfort among the soccer players is a reality. They do not understand the constant errors and lack of professionalism in the selection. Managing this complicated situation will be the first challenge for Markel Zubizarreta, director of women's football at the Federation, who is aware of what happened. Yours is the responsibility of deciding Montse Tomé's future in the team.
