Barcelona’s Remarkable Season in Women’s Football
Barcelona has achieved some extraordinary feats this season, securing a second consecutive La Liga F title and their fourth straight Women’s Champions League title—despite what many considered the team’s down period. It’s interesting, really; at the close of last year, a loss to Manchester City seemed to set off a wave of uncertainty.
Ultimately, they clinched the league title, but that came after suffering two defeats. It doesn’t sound too harsh, but it’s actually the first time since the 2018-19 season that they’ve lost multiple matches in the league. So, it felt a bit like a crisis. That painful loss to City had the team reflecting deeply, particularly during their first season under new manager Pele Romeu, who took over from Jonathan Guilard last summer.
“It was an emotional season,” said winger Caroline Graham Hansen, adding, “We lost more games than we expected, and some hits hurt more than others.” Her acknowledgment of their performance around the City match shows a sense of camaraderie and urgency. “Everyone felt it. We recognized the need to improve, and since then, we’ve been focusing on being better when it counts. Let’s hope we can end the season on a high note.”
That’s putting it mildly, I think. They overcame a revitalized Chelsea after dominating Wolfsburg with a 10-2 scoreline in the Champions League quarterfinals.
“You never get tired of winning,” she continued. “Sure, winning everything isn’t realistic, but I start each season dreaming of doing just that. Although, I guess the second title is always harder to attain.”
In the upcoming final on Saturday, Barcelona will clash with Arsenal, a team they haven’t faced since 2021. Graham Hansen pointed out the similarity in playing styles, saying, “Arsenal is a solid team that likes to control possession like us, but I believe we do tend to dominate the ball a bit more. Maybe that’s just my take.”
Interestingly, among the top scorers in the Champions League, two players hail from Barcelona—Claudia Pina with ten goals and Ewa Pajor with six. While Barcelona is favored, Arsenal managed to take down Lyon despite a hefty 4-1 loss in the away leg of their semi-final, showing they can indeed surprise as underdogs.
“I’m excited to face another team we haven’t met in a final before,” she said. “They’ve set a high bar in the Champions League, and this game will undoubtedly be challenging. At the end of the day, it’s about leaving everything on the pitch and seeing which team comes out on top.”
One notable change this season was the addition of Polish forward Pajor, especially following the departures of Jenni Hermoso and Assisat Oshoala. This left Barcelona without a traditional No. 9, which shifted their scoring strategy to rely more on contributions from various players.
With Graham Hansen, Alexia Putellas, and Caldentei expected to shoulder more of the scoring load, Pajor’s arrival altered their dynamics, emphasizing a more aggressive striker role. Pajor finished as the league’s top scorer, netting 25 goals in 28 matches and playing a critical role in the Champions League final against Wolfsburg.
In his first season, Romeu accomplished something many find incredibly challenging in football. On the surface, it might appear Barcelona players can play on instinct, but they’ve publicly praised Romeu’s influence since he stepped in.
“I think that was a significant challenge for him,” Graham Hansen mentioned. “With most players fresh and keen for the preseason, we were coming off a long year of play. We’ve had to use the early portion of this season to recover from what came before.”
“I always thought I’d win at least one Champions League with Barcelona, but actually winning three? That’s something I never imagined when I first joined.”
