“I understand that opponents respect us, we have a unique game,” said reigning Ballon d’Or winner Aitana Bonmati in Lausanne on Friday, commenting on Spain’s big role at the European Championship two days before Sunday’s final against England in Basel.
“I think that players who play on the wings, who can come inside to receive, like Mariona (Caldentey) and (Claudia) Pina, can create that superiority,” she said of La Roja’s style.
Unstoppable at the European Championship, Spain go into the final with five wins and a record of 17 goals scored and two conceded.
They face an England team that has had a much tougher time: they came back from two goals down to survive an improbable penalty shoot-out against Sweden (2-2, 3-2) in the quarter-finals and repeated the feat against Italy (2-1) in the semi-finals, with a last-gasp equaliser and the decisive goal a minute before another penalty shoot-out.
“In this Euro, we’ve been at our best, we’ve been very calm, which we’re grateful for; everyone knows what happened before.
“On the pitch, the team has changed a lot, it’s more mature, more experienced and knows how to play matches,” said the player, also a Ballon d’Or winner in 2023.
Aitana began Europe with a bout of viral meningitis but bounced back in the quarter-finals (Switzerland 2-0), where she was named player of the match, as she did against Germany (1-0 in extra time), where she scored the decisive goal and also won the MVP award.
“The goal, the other day, I saw it mainly because at the end of the match I was asked about it, and I couldn’t remember.
“Then I saw that I’d shot almost without an angle, it was super quick and at a time when I wasn’t thinking about anything,” she recalls.
“We have a golden generation, we experience unique things, and I’m grateful to be part of it,” she concluded.