Aitana Bonmatí: “We cannot compare England and Spain. Here they neither want nor believe”

They say that to be the best in the world, you first have to believe yourself to be the best in the world. The problem is that, many times, on the path between believing it and being it there is everything. “Thanks to ambition I am the player I am today,” says Aitana Bonmatí (Barcelona, ​​26 years old), winner of all possible individual awards, now also nominated for the Laureus Awards that will be presented next Monday. “However,” she clarifies, “I have also suffered a lot; "I have stopped enjoying many moments because I wanted more, because I was not satisfied with my performance." She is close, but shy. Sometimes thoughtful, other times impulsive. As fun as she is unruly, Aitana's personality is full of nuances. She appears smiling in the Johan Cruyff press room, on the eve of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea. She strokes her ear as she looks away. But she relaxes, so comfortable that she even dares to sing Arráncamelo, by the Argentine rapper WOS. “Lately, with more experience and age, I can enjoy it more. I have also learned to relativize. Not all days are round,” she says. “What does it mean to be at peace? Do what you want at all times and be consistent with yourself.”

Ask.

Did the Ballon d'Or bring her closer to this peace that she talks about?

Answer.

I'm still just as ambitious. When a game hasn't gone well for me, it still bothers me. Things continue to hurt me. I am very self-demanding despite everything I have achieved. But I don't want to live with a torment in my head that doesn't let me live. Football is a very important part of my life, however, there are other things that make me happy.

Q.

For example.

A.

Connect with my people from Ribes [Sant Pere de Ribes, his town 40km from Barcelona]. Feeling like things haven't changed. I really like to travel, because it helps me disconnect, live new experiences and get to know cultures. That fills me up a lot. Also playing the guitar and piano, which are things I did when I was little. It connects me with childhood. Always, when we got together with the family at Christmas, I would play a song that I had learned. I like reading. It is a moment of maximum concentration, in which nothing else is interfering with you. And I am very curious, I always want to know the why of things. It comes to me from my parents. They have given me a lot of culture and knowledge.

Q.

How have your parents handled all their success?

A.

They are very normal people, very humble. They came to the Ballon d'Or gala almost obliged. They don't like all this paraphernalia. They prefer to stay on the sidelines. They have given me a lot of peace of mind, they have never pressured me. Obviously, they are proud of a daughter who has succeeded in what she likes most. They have seen how I have fought it all my life, they have been part of the journey. I remember how my father would take the train and the bus and come late at night. I think it is a source of pride for them, even though we don't talk about it much.

Q.

Is that your refuge?

A.

Many things may have changed due to the impact, but the most important thing is that I, personally, have not done so. I haven't stopped doing the usual things, my customs, my people. I still live in Ribes, my lifelong town. There I feel peace. I can meet my friends, see my family... do normal person things, that's where I feel calmer.

Q.

What do you talk about with your friends?

A.

I am prohibited from talking about football. With my friends and my family I don't want to talk about football, about my football. This is my job, and I need my time away. We talk about everything a little. The other day we were analyzing the new

Oques Grasses

album

.

P.

​He relies a lot on normality.

A.

I have always been very clear that I am the same, and that nothing will change me. Because the moment I stop being myself, many things will be lost and I won't enjoy what I'm doing as much.

Q.

You are still the same, but the view of your surroundings has changed.

R.

How do people see me?

Q.

As the best player in the world?

A.

They have given me an award, but I am still the same person. There is a change at the level of social impact, especially in Catalonia, that wherever I go they usually recognize me. I have noticed that a lot.

Q.

And do you like it?

A.

I have gotten used to it. I neither like it, nor do I not like it. I accept it, it's part of the profession. Last year I was recognized as the best player in the world, and I understand that this has a very big impact. I take it responsibly, showing that I continue at a high level. Yes, it is true that there are moments when I would like to have much more privacy. It's also good that it happens, before it was unthinkable. I have lived through those years when women's football was left aside. We are now living this reality that is rewarding and exciting.

Q.

Where is women's football going?

A.

I don't know. I guess it depends a lot on where.

Q.

What do you mean?

A.

It seems that in some countries things are going great, but in others we are still stuck. We can do our best, continue being professional and continue winning. But if the institutions do not want to bet, do not want this to continue progressing or do not see a future, nothing more will happen. We cannot compare England and Spain. There they want and believe. Here they neither want nor believe. So we are stuck. Barça, however, is outside of all this problem. We are not only pioneers at the state level, but at the global level. But if Barça is not accompanied by a professional league as God intended, in the end it is just a club that pulls the car.

Q.

Are you saying it for Madrid?

A.

No, I say that Barça is the only club in Spain that deserves a lot of credit for everything it has done for women's football.

Q.

Can it end in a leak

of talent?

A.

We should start taking it into account, especially if the other leagues are more attractive and offer new challenges. It is not only an economic issue, but also a motivational issue. Playing in full stadiums, for example. I am surprised that all this happens in Spain, which has the two-time European champion, which is Barça, and which has the world champion team. It's all a bit incongruous. It can become a reality for young players to see that there are more and more opportunities and motivation outside. And it is a worrying thing.

Q.

Are you thinking about going abroad?

A.

I have one more year on my contract at the club, I am very culé and I have been at Barça for 12 years. Playing here is an honor. But I am a person who never, in general, closes the doors to anything. I let myself be guided a lot by the sensations of the moment.

Q.

Can you already imagine winning the third Champions League?

A.

Yes, why not? In the end, it is the goal we set at the beginning of the season, the one we are most excited about. Now we are in the semifinals. We know that Chelsea will be a difficult opponent. I always say that these games are the ones I like to play, the games for which I am a footballer. The goal is to reach the final and win it, but I wouldn't like to look beyond the next two games.

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