MADRID – Spain’s national team for the Women’s European Championship will be without Jenni Hermoso, the player infamously kissed without her permission by Luis Rubiales, the previous chief of the Spanish soccer federation during the 2023 World Cup awards ceremony. The incident led to Rubiales being found guilty of sexual assault earlier this year.
Star players Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmati are included in the 25-player squad announced by coach Montse Tomé for the upcoming European tournament, scheduled to take place in Switzerland. The training camp is set to commence next Thursday in Spain. Players from clubs Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, participants of the Copa de la Reina final on Saturday, are expected to join on Sunday.
Spain will face Japan in a friendly match near Madrid on June 27. Following this, the team will depart for Switzerland two days later to prepare for their Euro opener against Portugal on July 3. The final tournament roster will consist of 23 players. Spain’s group in the Euro 2025 also includes Italy and Belgium.
Jenni Hermoso, currently playing for Mexican club Tigres, has not been part of the national team since October friendlies against Italy and Canada. She had taken part in the Olympic Games in Paris, where Spain secured a fourth-place finish. Coach Tomé commented on Hermoso’s omission, stating, “Questions about Jenni often arise, and I’ve always addressed them with respect. We had a discussion after the first FIFA break when she didn’t play much. We’ve evaluated her club performances like other players and consulted with her coach. There’s immense competition for her position, and we’ve thoroughly analyzed the situation.”
Despite being Spain’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals in 123 games, Hermoso was initially excluded from the squad after the scandal erupted, with Tomé citing player protection. Hermoso returned to the team later, though the coach indicated a new phase for the national squad post-Olympics. Aside from their World Cup triumph in 2023, Spain also clinched last year’s Nations League title.
A Spanish court in February determined that Rubiales had sexually assaulted Hermoso by kissing her without consent. Consequently, Rubiales was instructed by Spain’s National Court to pay fines upwards of 10,000 euros (approximately $10,400 at the time) and was restricted from approaching Hermoso within 200 meters or communicating with her for a year.