Jenni Hermoso returns to Spain squad for first time since World Cup

Jenni Hermoso has returned to the Spain squad for the first time since helping the team win the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in the summer.

Hermoso was kissed on the lips during the medal ceremony by then Spanish football federation (RFEF) president Luis Rubiales – something she said was not consensual – after La Roja beat England 1-0 in the August 20 final in Sydney to become world champions.

A series of events followed including Rubiales and Jorge Vilda, manager of the World Cup-winning side, leaving their posts before the team returned to action in September with Nations League victories against Sweden (3-2) and Switzerland (5-0), overseen by Vilda’s successor Montse Tome.

Having not been involved in those matches, Hermoso is now back in the fold as part of Tome’s squad for Spain’s next two fixtures in Group A4 against Italy a week on Friday and Switzerland four days later.

Spain players had threatened a boycott ahead of the match against Sweden, something that was called off shortly before the August 22 fixture after an agreement was reached with RFEF, with changes to the governing body being promised.

Spain and Sweden then gave a show of solidarity prior to the match in Gothenburg, with the two sets of players holding up a banner carrying the phrase “Se acabo” – meaning “it’s over” in English – as well as “our fight is the global fight”.