There was no surprise, nor was it expected, but it was no less special when Aitana Bonmatí's name resonated throughout the Theater du Chatelet in Paris. The FC Barcelona midfielder won a well-deserved Ballon d'Or, taking over the throne from Alexia Putellas, winner of the last two editions. For the third consecutive year, the most prestigious award in the world went to Blaugrana. Normalizing the exceptional.
The footballers of FC Barcelona are used to that, which was also recognized as the best women's club of the year, and especially Aitana Bonmatí who has shone like never before this season. She has won the League, the Champions League and the Super Cup with Barça and has been proclaimed World Champion with Spain, also being the MVP of the World Cup and the Champions League, in which she has been the top assist and the second highest scorer. The footballer from Sant Pere de Ribes has plenty of merits, whom no rival has been able to overshadow this year.
Aitana stepped onto the red carpet minutes before eight at night wearing an impressive and ecstatic black dress. There was no hint of nervousness in her eyes and her huge smile confirmed that it was a night to enjoy. A parenthesis to the competitive demand that always marks her days. She arrived along with the rest of the Blaugrana expedition, led by the president of FC Barcelona, Joan Laporta, and the women's director, Xavi Puig.
On the most special night of her career, Aitana was accompanied by her people, her family and closest friends who traveled to Paris with the club's delegation. She did it together with Salma Paralluelo from the Spanish team's concentration in Zurich. The other Blaugrana nominees for the Ballon d'Or were also at the gala: Fridolina Rolfö, Patri Guijarro, Mapi León. Asisat Oshoala, called up for Nigeria, was not there, nor was Alexia Putellas, who stayed in Zurich in the concentration of the Spanish team, which plays against Switzerland this Tuesday. Once again, the gala organized by France Football once again coincided with an international window, preventing a large part of the nominees from traveling to the French capital.
This is La Masia's first 100% Ballon d'Or. While two-time winner Alexia Putellas arrived at Barça at the age of 18, Aitana Bonmatí is a talent trained at the club. He landed at the Ciutat Esportiva Joan Gamper at the age of 13 and has gone through all the categories of the Blaugrana club until reaching the first team in 2016. He made his debut under the command of Xavi Llorens and gained minutes until he became the brain of the midfield. blaugrana. A footballer with marked Barça DNA who wears Johan Cruyff's '14' with pride.
Aitana replaces Alexia on the throne, but this Monday was not the first transfer of trophies between the two. In August they already did it with the award for best UEFA player of the year and everything indicates that it will happen again in a few months with The Best. The crown changes hands, but remains in FC Barcelona.
