Irene Paredes: “We have a mixture of seniority and youth and there is a very good combination”

Irene Paredes is one of three players, including Jennifer Hermoso and Alexia Putellasplaying World Cups in Canada in 2015, France in 2019 and in the current edition of Australia and New Zealand.

The Basque appreciates her career, because it started without female references in this sport. “I took steps because it was what I liked and because doors were opening for me,” Irene explained.

The center back is one of the oldest players in the national team. “This is a team where there are many people who have worked very well. We have evolved over the years, we have a mixture of veterans and youngsters, each one contributes themselves and I think a very good combination is being made ”.

In his twelve years as an international in the Spanish team, things have changed a lot, especially in the last one. Spain was able to make the mental ‘click’ it needed to face the big teams.

“It is a change of mentality, but it is a change of physical state, of understanding the game… It is to add experiences, that all the girls develop to arrive at the conditions for by choice,” said the Basque center.

All this became possible thanks to a generation of “stubborn” footballers.

“The generations, maybe the new one to me, are the ones that started to use the strongest, the ones that want to play football, started to do it. And are already pushing to invest,” said Paredes.

Irene is captain of the Spanish national team, but despite not wearing the bracelet since the 15 o’clock conflict with the coach, she is exercising as a leader.

24 hours before the World Cup final, the international is not nervous about the great World Cup event. “Nerves? Right now there are none. There will be some tomorrow because I think it’s logical when you play a game of this caliber”, explained the center back who didn’t miss a single minute in the World Cup.