FC Barcelona goalkeeper Catalina Coll (Marratxí, Mallorca, 2001) attends La Vanguardia after some intense weeks after the earthquake caused by the Rubiales case. She arrives smiling at the Fútbol Emotion store to be honored as a world champion and to present her new gloves, SP Earhart. He answers the questions with the same temper with which he takes the ball when defending the goal.
Do they feel they have been robbed of the biggest success of their careers?
Yes. At first, with all the euphoria, I was not aware of what had happened. Then you start to analyze it and you see things that are not normal. Personally, it pissed me off that there was more talk about that topic than about being world champions. But I believe that justice will do its job, that everything will be fine and that we will be remembered as the first generation to win the World Cup.
Their struggle has enabled an unprecedented change for women's football. Do they feel part of the story?
Yes, we feel it. In the end, I see Alexia, Irene, Jenni and all those who are no longer there, and how they have fought..., how could I not follow this path? It's unthinkable. Winning that star has been possible thanks to many people who have been fighting for years. We young women are super aware of all this and I am very grateful to them for all the work they have done; it is admirable.
What was it like to receive the call from the national team?
I was in Malaga on holiday with my friends and I received a call. They tell me that I will be called up, that they trust me, that we will see how the two weeks of training go and that I could be on the list. I felt a lot of emotion. He was coming off a very difficult year with the injury. I was thinking about my vacation, to disconnect to better return to Barça. And that was an injection of adrenaline, to see that they trust you.
How do you go from being a Barça substitute to winning a World Cup?
With a lot of temperance, being very calm and waiting for your moment, your opportunity and, when it comes, take advantage of it. I think that's what I did, I took the opportunity and, luckily, it turned out well.
Sandra Paños was one of her references as a child and now she disputes the title...
It's not easy, because everyone wants to play. We know that we will compete every day to play, but we are also teammates. We are clear that it is not our decision, to play or not, that comes from above. We challenge each other, we compete to the death and I think that makes us better than each other.
She was brought into the selection in front of Paños and she won the place for Misa. Has it been difficult to manage?
It's been strange, but I'm a very calm person and I don't think it's an emotional mismatch to go through a situation like this, but I take it as an opportunity. I'm calm because in the end it's my forte and what I know how to do. I have a lot of confidence in myself and I go out on the field to play.
Do you think this temperance is your strong point?
May be. Especially in tense moments, I think I'm able to keep that calm. I don't care what the game is, I'll play the same, I'll have the same pulses and everything the same.
That's why he earned the nickname of parapenals, for this coldness.
These are situations that I like. Obviously, I'd rather it not come to that, but if it does happen I feel super prepared to deal with it.
Their first absolute World Cup and they win it. what did you hear
It's unthinkable, I can't explain it in words. Everything happens in an instant, I don't think any of us are aware of what we have achieved and how we have achieved it.
"We are the golden generation and we will make history again", you said in 2018 after winning the Under 17 World Cup. Five years later, absolute champion.
There were many young women with whom I shared a dressing room during that Under 17 World Cup. There was something different, we put a lot of pressure on the lower ones, we wanted to do something big and it has been noticed that we have grown very well together, that there is a very good squad.
The successes of the inferiors have finally been transferred to the absolute.
Yes, but also because the clubs have bet more and it shows. In the end you work in your club and when the national team calls you you are already trained. Barça, for example, has 7's football and all the women's categories, and this makes the selection grow and everything goes much faster.
There was a time this season when he saw that he needed to take another step forward in his career. When did it take place?
When I saw that I was settling in. I said: "jaestà", as if I had accepted the situation of not playing, and my representative told me that I should be the first. And we drew up a plan.
What did the plan include?
A lot of work, a double session many days, a nutritionist, a psychologist..., hanging every day focused on a single goal: getting on the list. And we succeeded.
What is the next step?
Be consistent in this. I think at the end of the day, when you have a goal, it's not just for three months; especially in football, you have to be constant. It's a daily job, every day 24 hours. Being consistent is the key to success.
At what point in your life did you say you wanted to be a professional footballer?
Well I think I never thought about it. I am a person who lives a lot from day to day and I don't think beyond that. I never said to myself: "I want to be a footballer", but I played, I had a good time, I saw that it was my forte...
How was the call from Barcelona?
I didn't believe it. I was at Collerenc, I was about to sign for another team and Barça came and said: "we want you". And Barça cannot be told no. I'm culer and it was a dream. There were already Majorcans at Barça, there were Virginia, Patri, Mariona and, hey, it was something I had to say yes to. I left on loan the first year, but because I believed I had to grow in another team to come back better.
And this season, what is your goal?
Grow both football-wise and personally, try to play as many minutes as possible and, hopefully, win all the titles that come.
