Jenni Hermoso returns to the national team and Tomé justifies it: "The decision to protect her was a sporting one. Now I feel better about it"

Jenni Hermoso will once again wear the shirt of the Spanish soccer team. The coach Montse Tomé has included the Madrid forward of the Mexican Pachuca in the list of those called up for the matches against Italy and Switzerland in the Nations League, to which the World champions Salma Paralluelo, Esther González and Ivana Andrés also return after overcoming the injuries that left them out of the controversial September summons.

Hermoso was left out of the matches against Sweden and Switzerland because the coach admitted having wanted to “protect” her.. This reason cost Tomé criticism because his protection was linked to everything that happened in the World Cup final in Australia with the kiss of the former president of the Federation Luis Rubiales.. Those words generated discomfort in the soccer player, who publicly asked herself on networks what they had to protect her from, and in her teammates, who refused to be summoned but finally negotiated an agreement in Oliva with the RFEF, with the mediation of the CSD, which guaranteed changes.

Tomé explained himself again and wanted to clarify it after having spoken with Jenni and that he will be at the concentration on Monday. “Then we understood that, for sporting reasons, it was the best, because the focus was on her. In addition, he had played two games, a few minutes. There was a human part in that decision, but all my decisions are sporting. Protecting her was a sporting decision. Now I feel better, he has played more, he has scored three goals in four games. “It was the moment,” she said after acknowledging that both she and her coaching staff spoke with Jenni to have her be in the two games that will be played in Salerno and Zurich on Friday, October 27 and Tuesday, October 31.

The focus was also on Mapi León and Patri Guijarro, who were called in the first summons but chose to leave the concentration. Tomé has not included them on the list again. “We follow them and value them. They were summoned because of their abilities, but they told me what they felt and I told them what I thought.. Steps have been taken in the RFEF, but I have to call on players who want to be there and who are convinced,” he said..

Tomé's start on the bench was in a context of mistrust that the coach believes has been overcome. “I have always had confidence in myself, in my coaching staff. I have spent five years with the majority in another role, doing my job professionally, but it was not me who decided. The relationship with the players was good, none of them will say anything bad to you. They are very professional. This is something that has overwhelmed us all, we are trying to solve it, but I have not felt a lack of confidence. We have talked about what we have had to talk about,” said the coach, who did not want to comment on the signing of Jorge Vilda for Morocco.

Another focus of controversy in the last few hours has been the support received from the men's team, which Aitana Bonmatí did not expect, and the words of Rodri, captain, about the convenience of meeting with the captains who, next Monday, Tomé will make known. “I find the idea very interesting, because I think we can benefit a lot from each other,” he said.

At the moment, what he wants most is to be able to talk only about football, about his team, about a rival like Switzerland that was beaten in Córdoba but needs to react and about another like Italy that stood up to Sweden and that, he warns, will not be easy.

Called:

– Goalkeepers: Misa Rodríguez (Real Madrid), Enith Salón (Valencia) and Cata Coll (Barcelona)

– Defenders: Ona Batlle, Irene Paredes (Barcelona), Olga Carmona, Ivana Andrés, Oihane Hernández (Real Madrid), Laia Aleixandri (Manchester City/ING) and María Méndez (Levante)

– Midfielders: Tere Abelleira, Maite Oroz (Real Madrid), Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmatí, Jenni Hermoso (Pachuca/MEX) and Anna Torrodá (Valencia).

– Forwards: Athenea del Castillo (Real Madrid), Mariona Caldentey, Salma Paralluelo (Barcelona), Amaiur Sarriegi (Real Sociedad), Inma Gabarro (Sevilla), Lucía García (Manchester United/ING) and Esther González (Gotham/USA).