Aitana: “Gold is a long way off, but we trust ourselves”

Aitana Bonmati (Villanueva y Geltrú, Barcelona, ​​​​​​​​1998) is the leader of the Spanish women’s team. Although Spain has arrived at Paris 2024 as a debutant favorite, the soccer player is “careful” because, as he noted in an interview with EFE, gold is still far away. Although he did not doubt the trust of the group.

“We are cautious, but we trust the potential we have because we showed it in the World Cup and the Nations League, among many other games, but we also know the level of the rivals. For me it is respect and prudence because to get to the top you have to go through several steps before,” he said.

Bonmatí This past year he won all the titles he reached. At national team level, he won the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand, where he was selected as the tournament’s best player, and the Nations League, while at club level he won a historic haul of titles for Barcelona with the League , Queen’s Cup, Spanish Super Cup and Champions League. Now he wants to go for Olympic gold.

They did not have an easy start. How do you evaluate the debut at the Olympic Games?

Well, happy with the first result. I think it is very important to start by winning a competition like this and hopefully the ball will move tomorrow (against Nigeria). If there’s one good thing about having a few days off, it’s that you never stop playing and that time goes by faster.

In Japan’s party review, what are you most proud of and what are you least proud of?

What I didn’t like was that it started with a little doubt, but I also didn’t see it as a drama. In the end, we have to sit a little bit in the championship, start to gain confidence, feelings and I think the game ended well and we left with good feelings. We started the game a little wrong, a little nervous, tense… But I think when we scored the tying goal, everything flowed more and we ourselves.

There has been much talk about the symbolism of the fight…

The victory was obviously very positive after losing the last game against them last year. Because of how we lost it (4-0 in the World Cup group stage), I think it is very important to be good and above all to have revenge on Japan. I think we completely dominated the game and deserved the victory.

What was it like to play in an Olympic tournament for the first time?

It’s a different championship, very special, because it’s not just a football championship, we’re used to World Cups and European Championships where everything is football, but here you compete at the same time as in many other sports and with the best athletes in the world. This is special, they are the oldest Games in the world and we are proud to have won our first match.

And what was it like to be Spain’s first goalscorer at the Olympic Games?

It’s fun, pride… There’s a lot of work behind it. I am happy to always contribute my best to the team. In that case, it includes the binding purpose, Mariona (Caldentey) He gave success to his cause and I think we all contributed. In one way or another, we all try to do what’s best for the team.

This is the first time they have faced Nigeria at the senior level. What do you expect from the game?

Yes, true, although in the lower categories I faced them two or three times, if I remember correctly. This is a team that has always been characterized by the same thing, very physical, with quick counterattacks and with players at the top who are unbalanced. It’s a different team from us, but that’s why we’re here to adapt to any type of game.

Only him, along with Patri Guijarro, they have faced three times in the lower categories and they meet again with players they know like Asisat Oshoala.

Yes, me and Patri and other companies from the same team have faced Nigeria several times … We know Oshoala from the team (former Barcelona) so it will also be cool to meet teammates that you have played with on the road.

It was unthinkable at that time to think that they would meet at the Games. Do they appreciate what they have achieved?

Yes, there are times when you appreciate all that we have achieved, but unfortunately, or not, everything moves quickly and you hardly have time to savor all the successes that we have achieved both at the club and national level team, but when you stop Take a moment to think about how everyone changed everything, it’s something incredible. We all know that there is a lot of work behind it, that it doesn’t just happen and we deserve it.

How did you experience the opening ceremony?

I watch sometimes, yes it’s a bit strange because you feel inside the Games, but at the same time you feel outside. I really want to experience what the Games are like in the Olympic Village, because otherwise it feels like you’re just at another championship, but it’s really very different. As a footballer you don’t feel it that much and I think it’s a shame.

There are only two options to reach the Olympic Village… Be the second in the group or the finalists.

Yes, but you don’t condition matches depending on whether or not you go through Villa… That never enters your head. But I want it to live. And to live it we have to go far and we will climb one step every day to reach the top.

They don’t talk much about the gold medal. Is it scary or polite to talk about gold?

I think that’s what we should have. After all, you can’t talk about gold every day when you have the second game tomorrow against Nigeria. Gold is a long way off and we cannot anticipate the many things that need to happen for it to arrive.

We are cautious, but we trust ourselves, we trust the potential we have, basically because we showed it in the World Cup and the Nations League, among many other games, but we also know the level of the rivals. For me it’s respect and prudence because to get to the top you have to go through some steps before.