They add up to five Ballon d’Ors between the two. They are the best in the world. Two icons of FC Barcelona. They are Alexia Putellas and Aitana Bonmatí. The first scored a double in a match filled with tears and hints of farewell. The second was returning after a long injury. A fibula fracture that kept her away from her habitat: the pitch, for 154 days. Both midfielders will be in the Oslo final defending the blaugrana jersey in their seventh European final, the sixth in a row. It might be the last time together because everything that happened around Alexia had a farewell flavor. There was everything. Goals, bows, tears, and yet another photo of the captain with the drum and the cheering stand.
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In that photo, there was also an Aitana dressed as a footballer. Happy. Calm after her return. That is what the story is about now: holding on to the good. A footballer used to competing, to touching perfection, to not giving herself a break even to enjoy – because, after every Ballon d’Or won in Paris, every victory with Barcelona, and every goal scored, she was already thinking about how to improve – has now decided to embrace enjoyment and calm with her closest ones.
The captain took off the armband with tears and handed it to Patri Guijarro
She is a new Aitana. A player who has taken this time to recover not only physically but also mentally from the burnout she was suffering; that is, to get out of the state of physical, emotional, and mental exhaustion she was in. She even considered an expiration date as a footballer. Now, the new Aitana has discovered another Barcelona. To carry out the rehabilitation exercises, the one from Ribes moved to live with her uncles, her mother’s sister, Lili Bonmatí, and her partner, Pere, in an apartment located in the center of the Catalan capital.
We will talk about my future later”
Alexia Putellas
There she has discovered parks, spaces to relax and walk the family dog, Kai. She has also lived a lot of club life, sharing boxes at Camp Nou and the infirmary with long-term injured players. Rural houses and her lifelong friends have also been fuel for recovery. When she entered, in the 68th minute, the noise was deafening. The whole stadium, with its 60,021 people, chanted her name. The drums from the cheering stand also helped.
The new Aitana, who has returned with the goal of enjoying everything more, had the fifth goal at her feet
By then, Barça was already winning 4-1. Aitana, resigned, regretted a bad pass of hers that led to the Germans’ 4-2. But then she caught the ball and, as if she were an athlete, launched herself across the field. Pajor, who was riding alongside her, forgave her sprint. It just missed. She lacked the accuracy that an overwhelming Alexia had before.
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The captain has a romance with Camp Nou. And with scoring. For the first, the queen ran to the corner where the cheering stand was and, besides her bow, kissed the badge. With the second, she hugged her teammates. What will happen with her future? Sources familiar with the situation explain that there is a proposal and plan from the club to renew her beyond the optional year she has, but there is no response from the captain. No one will say anything until the season ends, but there are already plans. In case she is not here next year.
Alexia has 232 goals, the same as César Rodríguez, the second highest scorer in the club’s history
For now, and until she decides and announces it, Alexia already has 232 goals with Barça, the same as César Rodríguez, the second highest scorer in the club’s history. Ahead is only the unreachable Messi (672).
Aitana: “It has been a tough and different challenge, but rewarding. Now, for more”
“There has been a lot of suffering along the way. I am happy to be back. It has been a tough and different challenge, but rewarding. Now, for more,” Aitana said after her long-awaited return, five months after her injury. The midfielder eagerly awaits the final against a Lyon now coached by former blaugrana coach Jonatan Giráldez. “We learned a lot from them when we started our journey,” the midfielder recalled. “The opponent is another team that has deserved to be in the final; we already know them very well,” added Irene Paredes. “Coaching this team is something unrepeatable. It doesn’t matter how you get to these kinds of finals, but I want to say that Barça is the team that has signed the best Champions,” said coach Pere Romeu, who praised his players’ ability to “suffer and endure the last 20 minutes” against Bayern. Beyond the group happiness, highlighted Salma Paralluelo, author of the 1-0 and considered the best player of the second leg. “Assist, goal, semifinals… It could be my best match,” admitted the forward.
It was also an important day for Alexia, who left her continuity in the air with a “We will talk about it later.” “I changed Alexia because we always think about what is best for the team,” excused Romeu, who did not want to enter the debate about whether the captain will continue next year. “Alexia is our leader. I told her she is the best. Those of us who have been through the seven finals together, it is super exciting to live these moments,” explained Patri Guijarro, who received the armband from Alexia on the field. “I am happy with her match and glad that Aitana had minutes of continuity in a very demanding match,” concluded Romeu.
Alexia said goodbye to Camp Nou in the 85th minute. She gave the armband to Patri Guijarro, as if passing the baton. And then she received her biggest ovation. On the bench, she was seen emotional. Then, she led the team on a lap of honor with the cameras focusing on her expression. Oslo remains. Then, as she said, “there will be time to talk.”
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