The RFEF chooses Tambre as its fertility partner for Spain’s women’s football and futsal national teams

Tambre becomes the Spanish Football Federation’s specialist medical partner, giving players and referees access to reliable information, personalised medical guidance and options to preserve their fertility for the future.

The Real Federación Española de Fútbol (RFEF) and Tambre Fertility Clinics are joining forces to give female athletes better access to information about reproductive medicine and help them make informed choices about their reproductive health.

The reason is simple: an elite sporting career often coincides with years when fertility can become an important consideration. At the same time, every woman is different. Some may already be thinking about motherhood, others may prefer to consider it later, and personal circumstances and career stages vary too. That is why this partnership does not start with treatment, but with something that comes first: good information. Knowing more about her reproductive health, being able to ask questions and receiving personalised medical advice can help a woman make choices that fit her life and her wishes.

The RFEF chooses Tambre as its medical partner

For the medical side of the initiative, the RFEF has chosen Tambre, a specialist in reproductive medicine. For Tambre, this is both a sign of trust and a major responsibility. It is also recognition of almost 50 years’ experience in assisted reproduction, fertility preservation and personalised patient care. Since it was founded in Madrid in 1978, Tambre has worked with a clear approach to reproductive medicine: accurate diagnosis, tailored treatment, scientific and technological innovation, and personal support throughout the process. That same personalised approach will be at the heart of the care offered to the athletes. Every woman will be assessed individually. If she goes on to have treatment, we will consider not only her fertility, but also her personal circumstances and her training and competition schedule.

There is no one-size-fits-all answer: every woman, every life and every path to motherhood is different.

Experience in fertility preservation, backed by a specialist laboratory

Tambre brings extensive experience in fertility preservation to the partnership. Its specialist assisted reproduction laboratory also plays a key role. The embryology team follows established protocols for egg vitrification and warming. Systems such as RI Witness also help keep samples secure and fully traceable throughout the process. In younger patients, up to 97% of eggs survive the warming process. Tambre was also awarded Kitazato Cryotop® Best Practice recognition in 2023 and 2025 for its results and standards in vitrification. With fertility preservation, the medical advice beforehand is only part of the picture. What happens afterwards in the laboratory matters just as much.

Preserving fertility for the future

Through Tempo, Tambre’s fertility preservation unit, athletes who choose this option after receiving information and a medical assessment can have their eggs frozen using vitrification.

Vitrification allows eggs collected at a particular point in time to be frozen and stored for possible use in the future. The process starts with a medical assessment. Where appropriate, this is followed by ovarian stimulation tailored to the individual, with specialist monitoring through to egg retrieval and vitrification. For elite athletes, this requires extra planning. The timing and medical recommendations need to be tailored to each woman and coordinated with her training and competition schedule. Her safety always comes first. Fertility preservation is an option, not an obligation. Fertility preservation does not guarantee a future pregnancy. The chances of pregnancy later on depend on several factors, including age at the time of vitrification, the number and quality of eggs retrieved and each woman’s individual medical circumstances. That is why Tambre believes it is important to be clear and honest about what women can realistically expect from fertility preservation.

Making an informed choice

The partnership between the RFEF and Tambre is built around one key principle: the decision whether or not to become a mother is always hers to make. One athlete may want to become a mother during her career, another may prefer to wait until later. Some may choose to preserve their fertility, others may not. All of these choices are personal, and none should ever be assumed. Reproductive medicine can provide information and offer new possibilities, but it cannot make that choice for the patient. That is exactly Tambre’s role. With our medical and scientific expertise, together with our specialist laboratory experience, we help athletes understand their reproductive health more clearly. We explain both what is possible and where the limitations lie, so that each woman can make a well-informed decision for herself. The RFEF is giving its athletes an additional option. Tambre provides the medical expertise, experience and support. The choice is always hers.

 

The RFEF and Tambre make their partnership official

The agreement was signed on 8 September by the President of the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF), Rafael Louzán, and our CEO, Inge Kormelink. The signing took place at the Ciudad del Fútbol in Las Rozas, Madrid, at an event attended by RFEF representatives, athletes, referees, organisations from across the sports sector and numerous media outlets. Among those attending on behalf of the RFEF were Manuel Lalinde, Director General; Marisa González, Chief of Staff and Communications Director; Yolanda Parga, Head of Women’s Refereeing and a member of the RFEF Board of Directors; Ramón Plaza, Commercial and Business Development Director; Reyes Bellver, Women’s Football Director; and Mario Hernando Carabias, Futsal General Manager. The Spain women’s national football team was also represented, with head coach Sonia Bermúdez and players Olga Carmona and Patricia Guijarro in attendance. The Spain women’s national futsal team was represented by head coach Claudia Pons and several members of the squad. Female referees and representatives from a number of sports organisations also took part. For Tambre, this partnership goes far beyond an institutional agreement. It is a clear sign of the RFEF’s trust in our medical, scientific and laboratory expertise to support its athletes with something deeply personal: their reproductive health. Almost 50 years after taking our first steps in reproductive medicine, our purpose remains the same: to use science, experience and reliable information to help every woman make her own choices.