CHENNAI: In the history of FC Barcelona, there’s arguably only one footballer better than Alexia Putellas, and that’s Lionel Messi. While Messi transformed Barcelona’s fortunes, Putellas has done something far more incredible; she’s revolutionised Liga F, Spain’s women football and made women’s football a profession.
Putellas is the embodiment of revolution. Rightfully, she’s nicknamed, which translates to ‘The Queen’. And Barcelona is her kingdom, the place where she grew up, the club she supported since she was six and transforming that place into a holy grail for budding women’s footballers.
When she joined the club in July 2012, women’s football was barely taken seriously, and was swept under the carpet in the preceding years. No training pitch, not enough facilities to train (like men’s footballers), and more importantly, no one to look up to. Putellas even had to battle and train with the boys, and sometimes even played against them, in order to keep up form and fitness.
14 years later now, all that was missing in women’s football now exists. Barcelona Femeni now train at the same complex as the men’s side, at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper. It now has the same sponsors as the men’s side, music streaming platform, Spotify and more importantly use the same stadium—Camp Nou—to play European matches.
30 March 2022, it is a day that no Barcelona femeni star will ever forget. In Putellas’ own words, it was a ‘magical’ night, and to understand its magnitude today, it was a night that transcended women’s football beyond the imaginable realms. It was the night when 91,533 fans turned up the decibel level at Camp Nou, as Barcelona beat their rivals, Real Madrid 5-2—the biggest crowd for any form of women’s game. At the centre of it all was La Reina.
“There’s only one queen, Alexia Putellas,” the crowd chanted vociferously, and La Reina delivered. Girls, women, boys, men, all of them equally were her fans, and Putellas’ single presence has gone a long way in transforming the entire club.
While it wasn’t a move that transpired overnight, a lot of the changes and the revolution has to be attributed to torch-bearer Putellas, a central figure of women’s football in the country. ‘In the darkest moment, Barcelona saved me,’ she said in her goodbye.
She now walks away with 233 goals, 35 titles, 2 Women’s Ballon d’Ors (the first Spanish woman to win the award), but her greatest achievement will always be transforming women’s football. In Barcelona’s darkest hours, La Reina joined the club, saved it, and put women’s football at the pedestal it deserves. “That’s it, it has been a perfect story”, Putellas added, and there’s nothing more to say than that Barcelona will neever be the same ever again.