Olga Carmona becomes Spain captain over Bonmati and Mariona | OneFootball

Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey are not captains anymore. Spain manager Montse Tomé and her staff removed the FC Barcelona players from the third and fourth captain spots. During a reunion with players, the Spain women’s national team staff gave Olga Carmona one of the leadership roles.

Pedro Rocha, president of the RFEF Management Commission, Víctor Francos, president of the CSD, and all the players met to sign the agreements reached in Oliva, where the conflict was solved.

All of them are creating an organism called “the mixed commission.” Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, and new captain Carmona signed the document representing all the Spanish players.

Who is Olga Carmona?

Carmona was a game-changer for Spain at the 2023 World Cup. She was the one who put Spain in the final — scoring an 89th-minute goal against Sweden in the semifinal. She also scored the winning goal in the final against England.

Embed from Getty Images

A recent timeline of Spain’s captaincy

Carmona knew she would be a captain during the World Cup when Ivana Andrés suffered an injury, and none of the other leaders were on the pitch.

With then manager Jorge Vilda on the bench, neither Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes nor Jennifer Hermoso had the option to regain the bracelet — despite being leaders on and off of the field.

Embed from Getty Images

After the World Cup, the UEFA Nations League tournament was just around the corner. Tomé let the players vote for four captains. The chosen players were Alexia Putellas, Irene Paredes, Aitana Bonmatí and Mariona Caldentey. It meant four FC Barcelona players would lead the national team during the first post-World Cup international window.

However, within one month, Tomé’s opinion changed. She removed Bonmatí and Mariona and replaced them with a captain chosen by the staff and players. That’s when Carmona joined the captains list alongside Putellas and Paredes.

Bonmatí and Mariona’s criticisms play a role

The change in captaincy happened after Mariona and Bonmatí’s interviews in the media — criticising the federation.

Mariona talked to Catalunya Ràdio, and the Balearic said, “We had the feeling that we did not prepare the games well and that we did not have technical resources.”

Embed from Getty Images

Bonmatí talked to a famous TV program. The Catalan said they had already refused to join the national team. If the changes that are supposed to happen do not arrive, they may need to do it again.

On the other hand, Carmona has never said a bad word about the federation. In fact, she often speaks positively about the RFEF.

With actions like that, it is very clear that the federation behind the best team in the world has changed a little bit. There are still lots of things to change, though.

MORE from Her Football Hub: