Scotland's decision to persist with Pedro Martinez Losa cost them more than Euros place - it can't happen again
And so, Pedro Martinez Losa era is over for Scotland Women, with a second successive failure to qualify for a major tournament resulting in the Scottish FA finally taking the decision to cut short the Spaniard’s time as head coach on Friday morning.
The 48-year-old insisted he would not, and saw “no reason” to, leave his role following the predictably underwhelming 2-0 aggregate defeat to Finland in last week’s Euro 2025 play-off qualifier.
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Hide AdWhile he could not have argued if he was shown the exit door immediately after the final whistle in Helsinki, his sacking arriving just 14 months after the SFA decision to bizarrely award him a new four-year contract following his first failure to lead Scotland to a major tournament will rankle for some time. So how exactly did we get here?
While Martinez Losa’s departure will bring relief to many supporters, his apathetic spell in charge means the end of his tenure won’t - and perhaps shouldn’t - erase the three years of pent-up frustration that damaged the women’s game in Scotland.


Appointed in the summer of 2021, he has been - at best - a divisive figure with fans. Despite insistence that his team has progressed since his appointment, Scotland’s talented squad often appeared devoid of direction. Chinks of light, such as the 1-0 friendly win over Australia, were too fleeting and often following by a winless run or a humiliating defeat.
It spoke volumes that so few were surprised at how meekly Scotland surrendered to a functional Finland side in last month’s play-off, despite a resurgent seven-game winning run leading up to the two-legged affair.
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Hide AdThe concerns grew deeper than squad selection and performances too. The Scottish Women’s Premier League (SWPL) has more professional players than ever before, yet Martinez Losa was rarely spotted at games. Sporadic call-ups for SWPL players rarely led to game time, all whilst he openly admitted to “evaluating” some players who could be eligible to play for Scotland from the Women’s Super League in England.
His insistence on a possession based style of play had imprisoned key players. When Erin Cuthbert, winner of seven WSL titles, said she felt the team needed “to be a bit more Scottish”, it was a clear indication that they had lost their identity under Martinez Losa.
More than 17k fans turned up at Hampden to send the team off to the World Cup 2019 five years ago. However, while England, Wales and Republic of Ireland continuously smashed attendance records for women’s football in the years after, numbers fell to just 4k at Hampden Park during Pedro’s time as coach. Devoid of character and unrecognisable to supporters, fans were bored and uninspired.


His notion that the Scottish media had set an agenda against him and his squad following a 16-month run without a competitive win was as infuriating as it was offensive. While many viewed it as one final straw grasp, it was a kick in the teeth to those who had dedicated years to help grow the women’s game in Scotland. Many of whom were there long before he arrived.
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Hide AdSo, what next? With world class players such as Cuthbert and Caroline Weir able to combine with young talents like Jenna Clark, Kirsty Maclean and Lauren Davidson, there’ll be a list of top class managers believing they can improve Scotland’s fortunes.
But it must someone who will grab the opportunity with both hands, immerse themselves in the SWPL’s homegrown talent and give fans something to get their teeth into. The decision to persist with Martinez Losa has already cost Scotland at least 12 months of progression and a European Championships.
Get the next appointment right, and the saltire will no longer be missing at the next major women’s tournament.
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