Spain Replace Monste Tomé As Head Coach After UEFA Women’s Euro Defeat

BASEL, SWITZERLAND – JULY 27: Montse Tome, Head Coach of Spain, looks on after the team’s defeat in the UEFA Women’s EURO 2025 Final match between England and Spain at St. Jakob-Park on July 27, 2025 in Basel, Switzerland. (Photo by Maryam Majd/Getty Images)

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For the second major tournament in succession, the Spanish Federation have elected to part company with their head coach as Montse Tomé’s contract was not renewed.

Two years ago, they sacked their controversial head coach Jorge Vilda days after he led them to the first senior title, winning the FIFA Women’s World Cup. They promoted Tomé, who served as assistant coach to Vilda, into his position. However, her association, and perceived support, of the unpopular Vilda has always affected her standing with the supporters of the national team.

The Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) has decided to replace Tomé as their senior national team head coach when her contract expires on August 31. In her place will come another former national team player, Sonia Bermúdez, most recently the coach of the U-23 Spanish team.

While Tomé won just four caps at senior international level, Bermúdez was one of Spain’s most celebrated players. She stands fifth on the list of the women’s teams top scorers with 34 goals in 61 internationals. She was also a former team mate of current national team captains, Irene Paredes and Alexia Putellas.

As a coach, Bermúdez led the U-19 Spanish national team to victory in the Euroepan Championship last summer in Lithuania. In that tournament, Spain recovered from a indifferent start to defeat England in the semi-final before overcoming, in the final, a Netherlands team, which had beaten them in the group phase.

The decision to replace Tomé came just over two weeks after she led Spain to the UEFA Women’s Euro final, where most neutrals felt her team had the better of the game against the reigning European champions England, only to lose the title in a penalty shoot-out.

Nevertheless, Spain remained unbeaten during regulation time for the entire tournament, scoring a joint-record number of goals during the group phase. On the back of their results, they reclaimed the number one position in the FIFA Women’s World Rankings ahead of the Olympic champions, the United States.

On the back of their victory over the same opponents in the 2023 FIFA Women’s World Cup final, the incoming Tomé had also led Spain to victory in the inaugural UEFA Women’s Nations League, with a final win over France in Seville. They have also qualified for the second finals of the competition to be played later this year, finishing ahead of England in their group.

Tomé only lost five of the 37 matches in which she led the Spanish national team but failed to get them over the line in the two most important competitions since her appointment. Spain surprisingly lost 4-2 to Brazil in the semi-final of the Women’s Football Olympic Tournament last summer, going on to lose to Germany in the Bronze Medal Play Off. Spain had never before gone beyond the quarter-finals of the UEFA Women’s Euro but their failure to overcome England was seen as the final straw for the woman in charge of the world champions.

In a statement, the RFEF said, “the Board of Directors of the Royal Spanish Football Federation would like to thank Montse 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.”

The Board of Directors also added two new coaches to the Spanish women’s structure. Former Real Madrid Feminino coach David Aznar will be the U-19 and U-20 national team coach. Milagros Martínez will be the U-17 national team coach.