WOMEN'S FOOTBALL
Alexia Putellas interview with beIN: “We are not rebels”
The FC Barcelona midfielder spoke to the French sports channel about improving the situation in Spain regarding women’s football.
FC Barcelona Femení midfielder Alexia Putellas spoke to beIN Sports France, discussing the current league and Champions League campaign, her own future and the future of women’s football in Spain and beyond. Alexia is a two-time Ballon d’Or winner, having collected the award in the 21/22 and 22/23 seasons, but she remains out with an ACL injury sustained on the eve of Euro 2022, where Spain got knocked out to eventual winners, England.
Conflict in the Spanish Football Federation remains at the top of everyone’s priority list after 15 players spoke out against the current regime under Jorge Vilda. They wrote identical letters to the President of the RFEF, asking not to be selected in the squad after changes were reportedly requested by the players; Vilda remains in charge.
Alexia admits to being a Lyon fan
“We are not rebels”, Alexia said. “It’s tiring having to ask constantly for changes to perform better. I don’t think think adjectives like [rebels] needs to be added. It’s a problem between the players and the federation. Private conversations have been leaked that don’t benefit anyone. These worries don’t just happen in Spain, it’s something that goes on in general. Canada, Colombia, United States, it’s something that’s happening a lot.
Many rumours have swirled around the topic of the 15 players and their treatment in the national team, but they have chosen to avoid talking in specific terms. The FC Barcelona midfielder opened up on what it is that the players want: “We can the players to be able to focus 100% on performing. Those at the top should improve our conditions without having to ask for it to happen all the time.”
She also spoke about her future. Alexia has played for Barcelona all her life, and a move away seems unthinkable to many fans, but the player did not say no, and even mentioned another team. “I am too intertwined with Barça, but you never know. Lyon are a great side, they have been at the elite level for so long, but Barcelona is more professional, even if we always have room for improvement. In the 2017/18 season I was a Lyon fan. I loved that team.”
‘I really want to play against Lyon’
“I really want to play against Lyon”, she added about the team that beat Barça in last year’s Champions League final, “the last memory of them is very bad. It was our worst game in the entire season and they played one of their best. But before that we have Roma (in the quarter-final) and we have to take it seriously.”
Finally, Alexia mentioned the compatibility of being both a footballer and a mother. “I’m not a mother, but I have teammates who have children and they tell me that it’s hard to balance both work and pregnancy. We have to help them to be able to find balance between family life and elite sport.”