Alexia Putellas already has the club's latest renewal proposal on the table. This has been confirmed by the sporting director of FC Barcelona, Marc Vivés, who states that the captain "Alexia has the best proposal that he can have from the club." Barça “will not raise even one euro” the amount it has offered to the two-time Ballon d'Or winner, whose contract expires on June 30.
“We have done the most we could do to not break budget coherence,” says Vivés, who does not want to confirm if the club has set a deadline for her to make a decision: “We are waiting for her to accept it.” Without talking about amounts, the sports director affirms that the club's offer represents “a substantial improvement” to his contract.
Vivés insists that Alexia's injury will not affect his renewal. The captain's situation is worrying. He has been off the playing field since November 14, since he received a blow in the Champions League match against Benfica. So, a message of calm was sent from the club, but the footballer's feelings are not good. The pain hasn't just gone away and he is undergoing conservative treatment during the Christmas break. “We hope that in these 15 days the discomfort goes away,” they say from the club, but without confirming whether he will have to undergo surgery again in case the problem is not resolved with conservative treatment. It should be remembered that the affected knee is the left one, the same one in which he suffered the serious injury to his cruciate ligaments a year ago.
Alexia Putellas's is not the only pending renewal. That of Mapi León could be announced in the next few hours, but others will require more time. With markets such as the English or the American ones betting heavily on women's football, Barça has had strong rivals that offer much more money: "We cannot and do not want to compete in these markets," says Vivés, he claims not to be worried: "I'm not worried because there are still players who want to come as a project, even giving up much more money.” In this sense, Xavier Budó, Barça Sports Director, has praised the effort made by footballers like Patri Guijarro: “They have given up a lot of money to stay.”
Regarding the departure of Jonatan Giráldez at the end of the season, Vivés explains that he has conveyed a message of peace of mind to the players: “An important but not irreplaceable piece is leaving. We have enough resources for the project to follow the same path. Nothing makes me think that it won't be like that." His replacement has not yet been finalized, but the club is clear that it will be a “continuing” bet. “Whether from within the current staff, or from outside, they must comply with the parameters that we set. We define the project and the coach who comes must accept it,” he says.
Vivés has confirmed that on the same day that Giráldez's departure was announced, the club offered the renewal to the entire staff: "Now it will be your personal decision to decide to continue or find another path." The head of the women's project confirms that he is holding conversations with candidates "from inside and outside" and explains what the new coach must have: "That he knows and masters the work method that we have implemented and that he has leadership to train a winning team." ”. Whoever comes should know that Barça “would never accept a coach who came with 4-5 members of his own staff. “We would lose our identity.”
Budó has sent a message of calm about the financial situation and has announced that president Joan Laporta “has made it clear that each year the team's budget will increase. It will be an important increase as long as the women's project is sustainable,” he clarified. Barça's Sports Director has assured that the team's budget will allow for two stars in the squad (Aitana and Alexia): "If one does not continue, we are calm because the club's offer is very good."
Finally, he confirmed that the club's intention is to open Montjuïc for the Champions League quarter-final and semi-final matches, if they reach them, as well as for some League matches, and has offered good news about the section's sponsorship income. . Budó assures that “the brands are betting a lot and very well” on it and that the prospects for ticketing income, both at Montjuïc, at the Johan or at the Camp Nou next year, are very good.
