Aitana Bonmatí had an interview with MARCA’s David Menayoa, where she talked about the Women’s World Cup, the Ballon d’Or shouts, how she improves herself every day, and her decision to return to the national team.
Aitana Bonmatí about the World Cup:
“I had always the World Cup in my mind. I am an ambitious player and I want to be in all competitions with the club and the national team, I want to play and win everything.”
“Obviously, it has been a difficult year but we have finally managed to get positions closer and here I am [back to the national team].”
Aitana Bonmatí about her return to the national team:
“Both parties understood that it was best to get closer, talk and walk together in the same direction.”
“I’m not going to talk about what we’ve talked because we’ve always brought up the issue internally. The important thing is that we want the same for women’s football and for the national team and have everything available so that the players can perform at their best.”
Aitana Bonmatí about her teammates who didn’t come back to the NT:
“I can only talk about my decision and my responsibility. I respect every decision and I don’t want to involve in the decisions of my other teammates, there is no problem with them.”
Aitana Bonmatí about the favorites to win the Women’s World Cup:
“Although it sounds like a cliché, in the World Cup you can’t trust any team. Look what happened in the Men’s World Cup when Argentina won [the trophy] but started that by losing to Saudi Arabia.”
“I would not like to talk about favorites because there are always surprises.”
Aitana Bonmatí about reaching a better level this year:
“I think I am having good seasons but I’m ambitious, hard-working, and competitive, which makes me improve myself every day.”
“I never settle, every year I want Aitana to look better and more complete. I think that this season the role that I have been given in the team has helped me by playing closer to the box, and with the players around me it was easier.”
Aitana Bonmatí about her role in the NT:
“I feel confident with my abilities and I know what I can contribute to the team, but I don’t decide if I play or not, or if I go to the World Cup or not.”
“It’s too soon to draw conclusions, but I think I can contribute the same to the national team as I do to FC Barcelona because we have a similar idea of the game.”
There’s been a lot of talk about the Barcelona – Real Madrid rivalry and Aitana-Misa:
“I have no issues with anyone. We all know how Twitter and how the press works. They always look for speculation, the morbid [things], but in the end, no one [from the outside] knows what’s going on. People only look at some photos and comment on everything, based on that. I’m very calm after what I’ve achieved this year, and I aim to continue that on both a club level and an individual level.”
One of the things that seems to have changed is the discourse. There’s already talk of going to the World Cup to win it:
“We have a team capable of doing great things, and players who can offer a lot, whether from the start of a game or coming off the bench. They can do a lot of different things [given their profiles]. We’re all ambitious, we all want what’s best [for the team] and we’re going to fight for our success.”
Aitana Bonmatí about being in the spotlight:
“I don’t know if I’m in the spotlight or not, but it pleases me that people value me. It’s nice that someone buys my shirt, that they ask me for a photo, that they idolize me, that they have me as a reference. What happens on the pitch is nice, but also what happens off the pitch.”
Aitana Bonmatí about Ballon d’Or shouts:
“We’ve already started [with the shouts]! [laughs] When I hear these things, I prefer to just put them aside.”
“I focus on the day-to-day as that’s what lets me help us achieve big things at a collective level, which is the most important thing – and then: if individual awards come our way, good.”
“[It’s nice] when people say that [Aitana is worthy of a Ballon d’Or], [because] they say you’re doing things well, but I don’t give it more thought than that.”
Aitana is the number one candidate for the Ballon d’Or 2023 after her incredible season with FC Barcelona:
