Barcelona renews Alexia Putellas until 2026 | Soccer | Sports

This Tuesday, Alexia Putellas signed her renewal with Barcelona for two more years, with a third optional. After months of uncertainty, where his sporting level and his participation in the field were questioned after injuring his left knee. After the feeling of her culé was even questioned, voices and criticism that she wanted to silence by kissing the shield of the club in which she grew up, in which she always wanted to play and with which she broke up records. Because she is the player in question, despite the suspicions unleashed in recent months, Putellas is, without a doubt, one of the most crucial and important figures of the Barça club, due to her history and what she has meant to the team. women’s football and football played by women in Spain.

The Barça captain was leaving training at the Barcelona Sports City – after two days of rest – to meet with president Joan Laporta in a key week that will culminate with the Champions League final this Saturday. The player arrived around two in the afternoon, where Xavi Puig, director responsible for women’s football, and Josep Maria Figueras, her representative, were also waiting for her. And she came out an hour later.

The road to its signing, however, has been a roller coaster. His injury in the middle of training days before the 2022 Euro Cup came at the best moment of his career. After his recovery, his long-awaited return came, with a new position—nine—at the beginning of this season. But when the date marked in red to reach his maximum level approached, everything was cut short. A blow to her left knee during a group stage match against Benfica last November led her back to the infirmary: she underwent surgery and was out for months. It seemed that her ailments were progressing positively, but in December, just when the Barça club reduced the offer to renew her contract by one year – from three to two, an aspect that the player’s entourage did not contemplate at that time – and when they assured from the culé entity having decided on the renewal, Alexia underwent surgery to undergo an arthroscopy. That worked, and she managed to solve the discomfort that prevented her from returning to the field of play.

The following months served to gain minutes on the field and accumulate filming. He has scored five goals since his return, and provided four assists. His motivation was always focused on the sporting field, with his gaze outside the offices, although looking for the perfect moment to calmly talk about his future and build common bridges. They reached an agreement to which both parties gave in, both in sports and economic matters. Regarding the latter, they assure EL PAÍS that it was never a problem, since “they (club and player) were never as far apart as was said” —the Diari Ara published in November that he was asking for a salary of more than one million euros—in addition to the fact that it was not essential to reaching an agreement. Despite having received offers from abroad, such as the United States, he never listened to them, and the captain’s priority was to continue in the club, and his main doubts were about the sports project.

Barça cannot be understood without the figure of Alexia. She set a precedent worldwide as a figure and representation of women’s football. She was the first female Spanish soccer player to win a Ballon d’Or. And not satisfied, she got another one. In addition, she is the player with the most goals in the history of the Barça club with 189 (136 League, 21 Champions League, 20 Cup, 4 Super Cup and 8 Catalunya Cup) and the most titles, with 29 after winning the Queen’s Cup last weekend. week in a historic final against Natalia Arroyo’s Real Sociedad, which they beat with a goals record: 8-0.

After twelve seasons as a culé – the summer of 2012 arrived – 2026 has already been printed on his shirt, and the ink on the contract. Barcelona has grown during these years, accompanied by the 11 as captain. But Alexia is also Barça, and he will continue to be so for at least two more years.

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