The Spanish footballer Aitana Bonmatí, FC Barcelona’s midfielder, stressed this Friday that, although “they say that the finals are to be won”, in her opinion “you also have to enjoy them”, on the eve of playing against Olympique de Lyon in the final of the Women’s Champions League on the grass of the San Mamés Stadium (Bilbao).
“They say that the finals are there to win, but I would like to say that we also have to enjoy them because these moments are unique. Not only the final itself, but the training that we are going to do now, I think is unique. We have to enjoy the whole week we have been training because they are moments, I repeat, unique,” said Bonmatí at a press conference from the Bilbao stadium.
“Of course the important thing is to win, but I think that enjoying is something that I am learning to do over time and we also deserve to enjoy these days, not only for the game itself or playing against Olympique, but for everything.” what moves around us. I think we are privileged to experience it,” added the ‘culer’ midfielder.
In addition, he was pleased with the support of the fans. “We are receiving information that many ‘culers’ are coming, once again. For me it is a pride to be part of this club, to have these fans who have always supported, whether in Montjuïc, at the Camp Nou, at the Johan [Cruyff] or here in Bilbao. We know that the fans are player number 12 and she will be, as they always show us, that player we need to move forward in the games,” Bonmatí stressed.
“I think there is no specific way to work [la final], but experience gives you the knowledge to counteract adversities. Maybe years ago we started a game losing and it was very difficult for us to turn it around. But we have already had adversity in the last two years, I remember the final against Wolfsburg and also this year’s semifinals against Chelsea, where we had to come back from a first game in which we had lost,” Bonmatí continued.
“Therefore, I think that experience is important; but obviously we know that if we don’t concede the goal in the first minutes, so much the better. Because, if not, it makes you lose the whole game. Even so, if that happened because it can happen and we are facing a great team and in a final, nothing would happen. We trust in our weapons, we have the usual winning mentality and I think it is an aspect that we have improved a lot in recent years,” said the midfielder. blaugrana.
About his partner Esmee Brugts, he had only praise. “She is a shy person, she is also very young and we have to give her time. I think she has improved a lot since the beginning of the season, but we have also helped her a lot to integrate into the group because being shyer always costs more. But she is a “a great person, a player who always gives her all and as I said, she is very young, she has many years ahead of her and I am sure she will perform at a high level for many years to come,” he highlighted.
He also praised Fridolina Rolfö. “For me it means a lot because she is a good person, a good footballer. I think we connected very well since we met here in Barcelona. She has helped me a lot. I always tell her that she is like a mother. Not just because she is so tall, but also because she supports me a lot and is a good person. And she is also a very, very, very good soccer player and for me it is unique to have her on the team,” he insisted.
“I always like to talk about mentality because I believe that, without the winning and ambitious mentality that we have, we would not be where we are. But what I would not like is to talk about the past because the past can help you learn, but it cannot It means that tomorrow a situation similar to the one already experienced will have to occur again,” he added.
“I think we have to respect the opponent, they are a great rival and we know it. But we also trust in ourselves, in our potential. For me it is a 50-50 final, even. I see us train every day, I see us throughout the game. season, I know the mentality that my team has and tomorrow is going to be a great day, we are going to leave with that winning and ambitious mentality as always,” he reiterated about his preparation.
On the other hand, he avoided commenting on Xavi Hernández’s goodbye to the men’s team bench. “I think that the fans have responded by themselves with the massive displacement that will be seen tomorrow, I think that many more explanations are not necessary. We want to be focused 100% on the game, I think that is what we deserve, we have been there for many years working on it and the fans also deserve it. And that’s it, I wouldn’t like to talk about anything else today,” he said.
Finally, he made a warning against favoritism: “It is obvious that we are the current champions, but I would like to say that Olympique is historic because it is there every year competing for all the titles. Although it has not reached all the finals in in recent years, he has a great track record and must be respected.
“Therefore, tomorrow the score starts 0-0, a new final. And as the coach said, I also consider that we are the two best teams in the world right now,” Bonmatí concluded from San Mamés.