Without much of a voice, exhausted, but happy, Salma Paralluelo (Zaragoza, 2003) answers La Vanguardia by phone 48 hours after being proclaimed European champion. Not even a year ago she left another of her passions, athletics, to sign for FC Barcelona and dedicate herself exclusively to soccer. A path that has not been easy, but that culminates in a triplet: League, Super Cup and the long-awaited Champions League.
How are you after two days of celebrations?
It's been amazing. We were all euphoric, happy. The next day I got up, hugged my parents and I couldn't believe what we had achieved, I was like on a cloud.
What does this Champions League mean to you?
It is the greatest motivation as an athlete. It was my first year here just with football and it couldn't have gone better. I am enjoying it a lot, it is the beginning of a beautiful path and I face it with the greatest enthusiasm and motivation, and wanting to go for more.
Leaving athletics was a difficult step, seeing the results, are all doubts erased?
It was a hard blow saying goodbye to athletics, my other passion, but it makes up for everything I'm experiencing this year here.
Did your teammates who lived through the Turin final prepare you for the atmosphere you would find in Eindhoven?
They can tell you something, but until you live it, you have no idea what it is. I was freaking out, I remember it as something super nice. She was between nervous, animated and shocked by everything we were experiencing, it was like a dream.
Is it hard to isolate yourself from all this expectation and focus on sports?
It's what we've been working for all year. At the moment you really enjoy all the expectation, but when the time comes you focus on the game. We knew that if we concentrated we could achieve something big and after the game we could reconnect with the people and enjoy it all together.
What did you feel when the end of the match was whistled?
I felt a lot of emotion. I was on the bench with everyone already standing up waiting for the whistle to be whistled, the addition took a long time but as soon as it was whistled I ran out onto the field to hug everyone. It is a dream come true, it is a Champions League. Many of them had already experienced a final without winning it and seeing their happy faces was also an honor to be able to be part of all this.
She was also a luxury spectator at 3-2.
I had just been traded and was walking back to the bench, looking to see what was going on, when Rolfö scored. It was the goal that put us ahead, an immense joy, and I was able to celebrate it right there with everyone on the band.
Was it expected to be a starter?
If upon arriving in Barcelona they told me that I was going to start in the Champions League final, I would have answered where do I sign. I am super happy on an individual level, it is something incredible and that I have enjoyed a lot.
When did you know you would be in eleven?
They don't tell you that you are going to start as such, but it is something that I am assimilating during the week. In training, the idea they may have is already being seen and on the day of the game when they give the lineup everything more or less matches what was worked on during the week.
Position cost, how did you experience it from the inside?
Mariona usually plays more on that left wing and it was her turn to try a new position, false '9'. The idea was that I, from the extreme left, would also fall to the point, with Mariona in her role as square, on that left side. In the second we changed a bit to continue making these unchecks into space, but starting from the forward position and I think she came out better.
What balance do you make of this first year exclusively as a footballer?
It has been a year of adaptation. I'm happy, it's been good, but I still have a lot more work to do. I think the second one will go better, more adapted, already knowing the club and the teammates.
The change in discipline has weighed him down with injuries
This year I have been able to train football every day, something I had not done until now. At the beginning it was difficult for me to enter, muscularly there are many readjustments and I have had several injuries. I've worked on it throughout the season and I'm still doing it, the second year I'll be better prepared.
What surprised you the most when you arrived at Barça?
There is a demand on the part of all the players, I think that it is unmatched. The competitiveness, seriousness and professionalism in training is what caught my attention the most. All the players are ambitious, they all want the best, and that makes the level of training extremely high.
On a personal level, how is your life here in Barcelona?
My family came with me, I live with my parents and my little brother. They are also very happy here, they like the place and my brother has already adapted to school and everything. I am very happy to have lived this whole year with them.
She is always seen together with Vicky Lopez, does she look a bit like her older sister?
Yes, it's like she was my sister, really. Wherever we go we support each other. Seeing her happy, seeing what we are enjoying and knowing that this is just the beginning, that we are still young, is very beautiful.
What are your main supporters in the dressing room?
In addition to Vicky, Cata, María Pérez, who are also the youngest, also Jana and Bruna... We do more together, but the truth is that everyone is always there for everything. I think there is a very good vibe and we all get along very well, and that also shows on the pitch.
And now, a well-deserved vacation, what are your plans?
This week of total vacation, to disconnect and the next to start moving a little again because something very nice is coming up this summer, a very important goal. I've been suffering from knee discomfort and we have to keep working to get ready for the World Cup.
