Confetti rain and a huge stage to welcome the European champions. And they, the protagonists, the Barça players parading with sunglasses on. Many were hydrating with bottles of water in their hands. Others, like Claudia Pina and Ona Batlle, came out with beer. Mapi León, with the number 4 jersey – like the four Champions won -, was one of the most applauded of the afternoon. It was her last party since, like Ona Batlle, she will head to the Premier League. And the captains Irene Paredes, Patri Guijarro, and Marta Torrejón each appeared with the trophies of the Supercup, the Queen’s Cup, and the F League.
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Alexia took out the Champions. Number 11. The eternal captain. And she lifted it in front of the fans who filled Avinguda Maria Cristina while We Are the Champions played in the background.
Also played were Café con ron, in a Barça version by Bad Bunny; Superestrella, by Aitana; and the now classic Sarà perché ti amo. Ewa Pajor, author of a double in the final and top scorer of the Champions, was tossed in the air. On the sixth try, she finally won it. “I am very emotional,” she admitted.
As already happened in Oslo, Patri Guijarro and Cata Coll led the party. They sang Un dia de partit and Patri called Marta Torrejón, a captain who will leave after 13 years at the club and who started the chant “només hi ha una reina, Alexia Putellas”.
And Alexia spoke before the 3,000 people who came to the party. “Thank you for celebrating with us. For filling the Johan and Camp Nou twice,” said the captain. “I want to thank the president and his board. Let them know we love them. Thank you for making the path easier for us.” Joan Laporta and Rafa Yuste smiled among the crowd, moved, while people began to chant the now inevitable “Alexia stay”.
“Fourth Champions in six years. You are part of this era. And next year, in Warsaw… there is still a lot to come. But I can guarantee that this team always gives their all”
Alexia Putellas
The captain got emotional but continued with her thanks to Pere Romeu and the rest of the players. “Fourth Champions in six years. You are part of this era. And next year, in Krakow… there is still a lot to come. But I can guarantee that this team always gives their all,” she concluded.
Alexia thanked Laporta for his support and at the champions’ dinner in Oslo she gave words with a farewell tone
The party (with a farewell scent) had started much earlier. From the Barça locker room at Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo, the players came out, led by Patri, who controlled the music. Under her left arm, she also carried a huge helium balloon with the number 4 referring to the four Champions won.
In front were Cata Coll and Claudia Pina with the loudspeaker and, a few meters behind, Kika Nazareth carrying the Champions. Bad Bunny played until Patri said: “Wait, let’s put this on.” Then Follow the Leader started while the players paraded dancing through the mixed zone. The rhythm was contagious. Even the injured Laia Aleixandri joined the group, followed by Aitana.
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Afterwards, the team moved to the hotel to prepare for the dinner and the subsequent party. They had dinner first. And there was a speech by Alexia. According to sources present, the captain thanked everything experienced, spoke of an “incredible experience” and highlighted that now it was time for the younger ones to take over and continue growing the project. The announcement about her future should be made public this week. The team still has two F League matches left, the first and last at Johan Cruyff this Wednesday against Real Sociedad.
Although they close early in Norway, each one then looks for a path”
Irene Paredes
After dinner, players, family, and friends gathered in a central venue in the Norwegian capital for a private party with about a hundred attendees. Laporta, euphoric, stayed at the party until two in the morning. The venue closed around three-thirty, but the players’ celebration continued later at the hotel. “Although they close early in Norway, each one then looks for a path,” joked Paredes.
They barely slept, because at ten in the morning the plane left back to Barcelona, landing at noon. On that flight also traveled many of the players’ family and friends like Salma’s. The club’s proposal for a reduced renewal will be reviewed in the coming days after her performance in the final stretch.
The great end of the season and, especially, the conquest of the Champions have also strengthened Pere Romeu, who will lead a new stage given the departures being considered. “Trust this project,” he said before the fans. And he was tossed in the air by his players.
There were more chants from the crowd. They sang “Mapi and Ona stay.” The Aragonese, especially sensitive to such a scenario, could not utter a word. It is nine seasons at Barça. The sports management is clear that the team will need reinforcements in defense. But the key will be La Masia. To boost the growth of Vicky López, Aïcha Camara, or Clara Serrajordi, the latter a starter at 18 years old in Oslo. “I have not assimilated everything that has happened to me,” she said.
The party ended with words of thanks from Aitana, with Rafa Yuste singing the Barça anthem a cappella, Kika performing La Perla by Rosalía, and Laporta dancing with Alexia on stage to Que no s’acabi by FigaFlawas.
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