Bonmatí urges incoming Barça president to continue “great work” in women’s football | OneFootball

Barcelona have become one of the trailblazers of women’s football in recent years, and with club presidential elections on the horizon, Aitana Bonmatí insisted “it would be a shame to let that slip.”

In an exclusive interview with SPORT’s Maria Tikas at an Adidas event in Barcelona, the three-time Ballon d’Or winner spoke about the upcoming elections and the role that La Masia continues to play at the club.

Bonmatí, who is eying a return to injury after sustaining a fracture in November, revealed that her biggest ask from the incoming president is a continued commitment to the women’s team, who are set to return to the Spotify Camp Nou on Thursday 2 April for a UEFA Women’s Champions League quarter-final against Real Madrid.

The 28-year-old, who is also a diehard fan of the club, told Tikas that “Barça is més que un club because all of the teams share an identity, and I think the women’s team has become a unique entity within the club.

“I’d like the commitment to the women’s team to remain intact and to keep growing,” she said, “because a lot of great work has been done over the years and it would be a shame to let that slip.”

Another area of pride for Bonmatí is La Masia, Barcelona’s famed talent academy that has nurtured some of the sport’s brightest talents. A fierce defender of the academy setup, the midfielder insisted that “the most difficult periods in this club’s history have been overcome by backing La Masia.

“It never fails, both in the men’s and women’s sides. I think there has always been a strong base of players from La Masia, because otherwise Barça doesn’t function and the team doesn’t play the same way.

“We have our own identity, a unique style of play, and I believe the foundation of a Barça team has to be players developed at La Masia, because we understand the game in a way that no one else does.

“Obviously, we also need other qualities and different types of football that players from outside bring us, and I think that combination is what makes us top-level teams,” she added.