FC Barcelona has always shown to learn from defeats. The one in Budapest was the springboard to Göteborg. Again surpassed against Lyon, in Turin they began to build the foundations of what they hope will culminate with a new trophy raised to the sky in Eindhoven this afternoon against Wolfsburg. It will be the fourth final for the blaugrana in the last five years. Five years in which they have not stopped taking steps to get closer to the champion team they want to be. "The goal is that each year we are a better team and are better prepared for these matches," explained Marta Torrejón. As one of the oldest members of the squad, she has experienced this evolution firsthand: “A change has been seen since the first final in Budapest, where it was practically very difficult, sometimes almost impossible, to beat these teams from Europe, and Now we are here fighting against them and reaching three consecutive finals”, he values.
What has the team done to reach this level? "More of everything", Torrejón maintains: "More work, more training, more gym, better nutrition, better rest, better preparation by the staff...". Without forgetting the psychological aspect: "We are giving more and more value to working our heads thinking about these matches," acknowledges Claudia Pina.
A change that began four years ago in Budapest: “After that 4-1 against Lyon, the team's change of mentality was vital, starting with training. We gave a brutal physical change”, remembers Patri Guijarro. Just a year later, in their second European final, Barcelona lifted their first Champions League after beating Chelsea 4-0. "That victory was a before and after to show ourselves what we were capable of achieving," confesses Aitana Bonmatí. A confidence that has not stopped growing season after season. For Guijarro, one of the aspects that has made them grow so much these years has been his ambition: “You always have to take two more steps because if you don't, you stagnate and others surpass you. What sets us apart is this hunger to want to keep winning and improving at all times”.
After experiencing defeat in Budapest and glory in Göteborg, in Turin Barça hoped to close the circle by beating the almighty Lyon, which would be confirmed as the blaugrana's true beast noire. Dejected on the pitch at Juventus Stadium, the players could not hide their disappointment at not being able to respond to the 15,000 fans who traveled to Italy to cheer them on. "It was traumatic," Alexia Putellas acknowledged yesterday before the game.
A year later, "the team arrives at a more mature point," confesses Mariona, "who knows how to better manage matches," says Aitana. Against Wolfsburg the lesson has been learned: "We cannot trust ourselves, we must be 200%", they agree from the locker room. A more experienced Barça arrives in Eindhoven and has not stopped evolving, both physically and mentally. "We have changed a lot how we approach the game when we started with the result against us," says Guijarro.
Another of the lessons learned from Turin: “Fitting in so quickly took us out of the game. It's football and we have to be prepared for everything that happens. To score in minute 1 or to be scored in minute 1, and this cannot divert us from everything we have worked on", says Mariona, who believes that this season the team has learned to manage these situations much better: "No we get stressed if we have the ball, we believe in coming back when the score is against… We are now a better mentally prepared team”.
Season after season, the blaugrana entity continues to grow and consolidate itself in the world elite of women's football. “Today we are one of the best teams in Europe and the world. We are proving it by reaching all these finals. Now we need to be able to win them and take a step forward”, affirms Pina.
Budapest, Göteborg, Turin... Barça wants to write the next chapter of its successful European history in Eindhoven. A story that has been written from defeats. “You learn more from defeats than from victories”, admits Mariona Caldentey. “It hurts more to analyze them and it's more fucked up, but when you win it's easier to forget it. When you lose you are left with the runrún and the one in Turin is a game that has served us well. We have the thorn stuck in and we want to get it out against Wolfsburg”. Will Giráldez's men manage to turn the nightmare of Turin into their new Budapest and return to Barcelona with the cup?
