Aitana: "The most important thing I will take away from football is to be a mirror for many people"

Sant Joan Despí (Barcelona), Nov 2 (EFE).- Inscribing her name in the Ballon d'Or honors list does not mean a turning point for Aitana Bonmatí (Sant Pere de Ribes, 1998), who in an interview with EFE assures that Beyond the titles, "the most important thing" she will take away from soccer is having become "a mirror" for future soccer players.

The Catalan midfielder reviews the path she has traveled with the Barça team and the Spanish team that allowed her to win the most prestigious individual award on the football planet last Monday in Paris, where she lived a frenetic night that she will never forget.

Question (P): Of the many messages you have received since Monday, is there one that has made you especially excited?

Answer (R): I would not like to stick with any specific message. For me, all those people who have bothered to send me a message at a very happy moment in my life, I appreciate them all equally.

Q: What moment of the night do you remember from the gala?

A: It was a very nice day in which I tried to enjoy every moment, whether it was at the hotel with my family, because I was concentrating on the national team, or in the room putting on makeup. I tried to enjoy everything.

Q: Now, at 25 years old and with a Ballon d'Or under her arm, what remains of that Aitana who started playing for CD Ribes at the age of 10?

A: I'm still the same, even though I still have a Ballon d'Or. Every person in their life has their journey. You make changes, on a personal level. Obviously, I am not the same as when I was 10 years old, because otherwise we would be bad.

Q: In your speech you mentioned the word resilience. Is that one of the keys that has allowed you to be considered one of the best players in the world?

A: Yes, accept that there are bad moments and, once they pass, you have to have that capacity for resilience, to overcome difficulties and also know that those moments can help you to be better.

Q: "Win or learn, never lose." This is one of their mottos. She has won almost everything in the last year, but what has she learned in this last stage?

A: That's a good question (thinks). You learn from everything, I always prefer to focus learning on bad moments, since it seems that when you win it is more complicated because it seems that you have done everything well. I focused a lot on the Turin final of the 'Champions' (2022) that we lost. It was a tough loss and it was that loss that helped us become stronger again the following year.

Q: And with everything you have won now, what challenges do you have left?

A: I don't have a Euro Cup, I don't have an Olympic Games, because I have never played them. So I would be excited to win them. And, on the other hand, I want to continue winning titles at club level and not lose that ambition that characterizes me and has made me get here.

Q: And what can you improve as a footballer?

A: I'm not perfect, even though I have a Ballon d'Or there are many things I can improve. I make a lot of mistakes. In the end in a soccer game you constantly find yourself making mistakes. I have to improve my finishing on goal, for example.

Q: In the future, would you like to get out of your comfort zone and try other experiences in other countries?

A: I'm very good at Barcelona, ​​but I always say 'never say never'. You never know what is going to happen to you in the next few years. 'Never say never', but right now I don't think beyond what I have.

Q: After the gala, your father said that the Ballon d'Or is still a product of the football industry and that the important thing is not to lose the desire to play. Does it give you a little respect that this award could change how you feel? person?

A: I am very aware of what can happen as a consequence of the Ballon d'Or. I want to try to handle it normally.

Q: The Ballon d'Or will give you a speaker to reach more people. Beyond football, what projects would you like to lead?

A: When I talk about continuing to be the same, I'm talking about continuing to show interest in these topics that I have been showing for a long time. It's not something new for me. I have been involved with the Genuine Barça team, with refugees, UNHCR and a team called Ramassà. I will try to remain the same and that means continuing to support charitable causes.

Q: Do you think that the current generation of footballers are following a path similar to that of Guardiola's Barcelona?

A: People really like to compare. Each team is unique, each player is unique. There may be certain similarities because in the end we are talking about the same club and the same way of seeing football. But there are surely many differences. That team was unique and I think ours will be too.

Q: How important have your teammates at Barça and in the national team been in achieving this individual success?

A: This is not achieved individually, this comes as a consequence of the successes achieved this year. Being part of a group and a selection of very good players makes you better every day. We must also give importance to the coaching staff, who has given me many things and to all the players I have met along the way.

Q: It comes from playing with the national team. What was the atmosphere like at the last concentration?

A: Everything is very good.

Q: Does the fact that the last two winners of the Ballon d'Or, in the last three years, are Spanish give you more confidence to continue being a reference?

A: Having players who have won this award, which is recognized worldwide, gives us the possibility of reaching more homes, of being more of a reference.

Q: How have you experienced the last year in which, in addition to being a footballer, you have become, together with your teammates, a social reference?

A: They have been difficult times. I would have liked to be focused on football, but we are women, we have a way to go, some things to fight for and change. There is no choice but to accept it and put everything into leaving a legacy for future generations.

Q: But being a reference for girls who start playing soccer is something that is not paid for with awards and titles.

A: The most important thing I will take away from football is the fact of being able to transcend people, reach homes and be a mirror for many people.

Victor Marti