Let’s go back to the beginning. How did young Aitana fall in love with soccer? I’ve always said it’s innate. I started playing with the boys at school because there were no girls playing at that time. I was about 6 or 7 years old and I also played basketball. My family didn’t live for soccer, so I think it’s innate. [but] I was born with a desire to play with it.
You joined Barça at the age of 14.tell me about that transfer Since I was playing soccer on school grounds, I asked if I could sign up for my town’s soccer team, Club Deportiu Ribes. I stayed there for four or five years and then moved to another team, Club de Futobol Cubeles. For all the years I was there, I was the only girl on the team. However, Catalonia has the following rules: cadet [14-15 years old] You can no longer play in mixed teams. So that’s when I stopped playing with boys and I was lucky that Barcelona signed me at that moment.
What was it like going to such a big club at that age? It was always a dream for me to play for Barcelona, but I always thought it would be impossible. When I was about to finish the year in Cuberes, I already knew that this was my last year as a male player and the following year I would have to play as a female player, but suddenly I was asked if I wanted to take part in a trial from Barcelona. I received a fax asking.
The challenge was more than just practicing exercises. I got to immerse myself in my age category and see how I trained with them. I played with them in a friendly tournament, but for me, having played with boys for so many years, I didn’t know what it was like to play with girls. It has brought fundamental changes not only to my daily life, but also to the way I interact with my teammates.
There was always a certain distance between playing with the boys, and they didn’t always accept that there were girls on their team who played as well or even better than them. Or maybe even that I had a certain personality.first few years [at Barcelona] It wasn’t easy because I started playing with girls, but it became more equal. We have all been through difficult years. Just being girls made our general situation in life worse, but it got even worse when it came to soccer. It wasn’t easy and it was an interesting change that I like to remember from time to time.
What were your goals at that age? It’s true that when I first came to Barcelona, I didn’t really know what my ultimate goal was. At that time, there was no professional women’s soccer in Barcelona either. I was there for a few years and thought I would go to college and play in America. In fact, I had registered for the exam to get into an American university and was in talks with the University of Oregon. I had already been at Barcelona for 4-5 years and they hadn’t really moved up the ranks. But that was the moment I was called up to the first team.
What has always defined me has been my spirituality. I have never missed training or games. My mentality is something I’ve never lost and I think it was the key to making me the footballer I am today. Talent is one thing, and hard work is one thing, but without sacrifice, resilience, fighting, and this spirit of wanting to get better every day, I wouldn’t be where I am today.
Is there anything in particular that sticks in your mind from that time? I learned that it pays to be resilient, never get discouraged, and work every day. You’ll get where you want to go.This journey won’t be fun, but you have to accept it. [bad] In order to keep improving, there has to be a moment where you know how you have to improve. And instead of bowing your head and saying “enough is enough,” see challenges as opportunities.
You went through two important transitions. From men’s soccer to women’s soccer, and from women’s soccer to women’s soccer. How did it feel to join the top team? My first year playing in the first team was difficult. This is because he went from playing all the time and being a very important player during his academy days to being the only other player in the team and hardly able to play. Since he was a young girl, he has been surrounded by women and given roles that he is not used to, making things complicated. There were moments when I found it difficult to hold back. My ambition and always wanting more was the culprit here. I didn’t have a good time, especially in my first three years playing in the first team.
I knew I might have had more opportunities than I was given. Looking back objectively now, I think I’ve made good progress and gotten better every year. Those bad moments made me the player I am and I needed them.
What was the next goal you set for yourself? When I came to the first team, it was difficult to have the goal of winning the Champions League because the team at that time was still developing and was not at the level of being among the best teams in Europe. What we actually focused on is a little further down the line. We worked especially hard on the physical side of the game, which we felt was an important part that was missing. And in doing so, we gave ourselves the opportunity to join the ranks of the best.
My goal for the first few years was to create a space for myself in the team and become a central player. I didn’t want to be just a player. Sometimes he played on the wing. There was no fixed position on the team. I wanted to be an important player in a role where I thought I could grow. I think the position where I can best utilize my characteristics and my abilities has always been to play in midfield. My intention was to work every day to show them that I have a place on this team.
When was the last time everything went well? When was the moment you felt like you had a clear role within the team? The first year I took a big step and really felt that what I brought to the team was valued was when we won the Champions League with Gothenburg. [2021]. Although in the previous year I had already played a lot of minutes and made a fair amount of starts, my role as a starter was still not completely concrete. I think I’ve been consistently at a really good level since then. In the end, it took 8 years.
When you look back on your career so far, what do you think? I know that no one gave me anything to be here. There were a lot of transplants behind it. I still remember taking public transport and getting home at 1am when I was coming home from training with my dad. I had to finish my training quickly because otherwise I would miss the train. I couldn’t even take a shower at the practice range. There have been some difficult years, but the resilience I’ve been talking about has paid off. Now, when I look back at what I have achieved, I see that it is not a matter of luck, but the result of many years of hard work.
After newsletter promotion
We’ve won just about everything we can get: World Cups, Champions Leagues, leagues, cups. What’s next? It’s true that at 26 years old, I have a decent list of accomplishments, but I’m still hungry for more. The day I no longer have that hunger and ambition is the day I retire from being a professional soccer player. I still have that spark inside me and I still compete and train at the highest level every day. Besides, I don’t have any Euro or Olympic medals yet. There is still more to accomplish.
What was it like before and after the World Cup for you? It’s not because of the World Cup. This year has been a great year at both club and national team level, and it has had an impact on a social level. Delivered to more households. Of course, after our achievements your name will be called more often and become better known at the national and international level. All this helps, winning always helps.
I always give credit to everyone involved. All of my teams had a great year, which helped me get nominated and win awards. There was clearly a before and after. It used to be known, but it wasn’t as well known now. It all comes down to how you handle it. For me, nothing changes day to day in terms of how I live my life.
How does it feel to have people recognize and appreciate your accomplishments as a soccer player? It feels like people appreciate and respect what you’ve accomplished… I’m glad to know that I’m an idol to many people. That’s why I strive to be recognized for everything I do on the pitch, as well as for what I do off the pitch. That’s important to me. I think when you look at someone and admire them, you’re always looking at the complete person they are, not just what they’ve done on the pitch. For me, that’s really gratifying and something that I try to protect very much. At the end of the day, when my career ends, all the awards and titles I win will be great, but what will make me happiest is knowing that you made so many people happy.
What was it like for you to be such a key part of that process before and after Spanish football? I have been fortunate to witness the progress women’s soccer has made over the past few years. I have lived through the beginning and I would not call it an end as there is still much progress to be made. Indeed, in a short period of time, our situation and everything we currently have has radically changed.
If you win, conditions will get better, right? I have to praise Barcelona because they are a unique club and a pioneer and they really supported us and believed that we could become professional footballers. Thanks to them providing us with all the tools to make this possible, our players have had the opportunity to develop in the best possible condition. This was unthinkable not long ago.
How do you want to be remembered when your career ends? Of course, I want people to remember me as a great football player and as a player who was able to inspire many people. But there were things I could do away from the pitch. I always try to maintain that important balance. We always try to be close to people and be with our fans. Because I think we owe them a lot. Without them we wouldn’t be here today and we wouldn’t have had the experience of selling out Camp Nou. So I will be remembered not only as a great footballer, but also as someone who had values off the pitch and tried to make a difference at a societal level, so that the names of female footballers could reach more people. I would like to.
