Grateful and demanding. Proud and fighters. Conscious and responsible. Tenacious and firm. The Barcelona footballers received the Medal of Honor from the Parliament of Catalonia and they did so with a speech full of emotion, but also of claims, happy for the recognition and eager to help those who will follow in their footsteps, as is appropriate to the references they have become. “We are the first team, male or female, to receive this medal, and it is an honor and a pride”, said Alexia Putellas on behalf of her teammates. “This distinction means a paradigm shift. Society demands it. If it’s happening, it’s because society is changing and it’s brought us here,” said the two-time Ballon d’Or winner.
In its decision, the Catalan Chamber valued the contribution of the Barcelona community to “contribute to building a fairer and more equal society in terms of rights and opportunities”. The president of Parliament, Anna Erra, presented Putellas, as captain, with the gold medal. “Your titles and achievements have made us vibrate and have placed the club, the city and Catalonia in a good position”, emphasized Erra, beyond the two Champions Leagues won.
And Alexia, in her speech, did not miss the opportunity to claim that an abuse of power like that of the women’s World Cup final should not be repeated, without mentioning Rubiales. “We are here to stay and to help those who will come, because there is still a long way to go. These days we are seeing the serious situation we are facing with the RFEF and the changes we are requesting so that no woman, inside or outside football, has to experience a situation of contempt, disrespect or abuse. We need consensus and value in the institutions”, he asked.
The president of FC Barcelona, ??Joan Laporta, considered that this medal “helps to climb new steps and to break down the last barriers that women’s football has always encountered”, and defined it as a “story of perseverance”. And he insisted that the club will not give up on its bet. “FC Barcelona’s commitment to achieving equality in the world of sport is incorruptible”, he assured.
Alexia also had words for all the young women who look up and see themselves reflected in them. “For this not to be a fad, we need to claim more and better facilities, more investments and more fields for the base and convenient schedules for each age. We will not fail you”, he promised.
