E It sounds so simple, but this time it might really be true. “We are starting from scratch,” said Sonia Bermúdez, the new national coach of the Spanish women’s football team, after announcing the return of Jennifer Hermoso and Mapi León. For the Nations League semi-finals on October 24 and 28 against Sweden, they are in the squad. Hermoso had not been with the team since October 2024, León’s last appearance dates back even longer. Since July 2022, she has not worn the national team jersey. The absence of the two has always reminded of the unresolved problems in Spanish women’s football, of patriarchal structures and a culture that allowed intrusive behavior.
The striker Hermoso was involuntarily thrust into the spotlight when federation president Luis Rubiales, after the 2023 World Cup win, forced a kiss on her at the winners’ ceremony. As a result of the handling of the incident, Rubiales and the loyal coach Jorge Vilda had to step down from their posts, but Hermoso also counted among the losers. For Hermoso, who had proven her goal-scoring prowess in the Mexican league, the promoted head coach Montse Tomé represented the old system and ignored Hermoso, especially ahead of the European Championship 2025. For performance reasons, as she reportedly claimed at the time.
The 30-year-old Mapi León, who has been an indispensable part of FC Barcelona’s defense for what feels like ages, had already stepped back from the national team about a year before the Rubiales scandal. She wanted to signal against the structural disadvantage of the women’s team within the federation and the lack of professionalization, and to press for change. That need did not change when Tomé became head coach and a tempting tournament—the European Championship in Switzerland—loomed.
Great Appreciation
The Spanish defeat in the European Championship final against England this summer led the federation not to renew Tomé’s contract. And, in the best-case scenario, to initiate the overdue cultural change. The new coach Bermúdez said the federation had been working for some time to bring Mapi León back.
The decisive difference evidently came from the coaching change. Bermúdez: “She tells us that she is excited and wants to wear the Spain shirt.” Hermoso was conveyed substantial appreciation for her achievements in a conversation. In the Mexican league, she scored her 14th goal of the season with a header at the weekend. She, too, Bermúdez said, is returning with enthusiasm.
With Jennifer Hermoso, Bermúdez had played alongside her during her active days at Barcelona, Rayo Vallecano and in the national team. That could have facilitated the return. Now the task is to build a team from the experienced players and the many emerging talents. Sonia Bermúdez, who previously coached the U20 national team, could be exactly the right person for that.
