Latest news with #Putellas'
New York Times
08-07-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
Spain's Alexia Putellas is back on song and banishing her worst Euros memories
Alexia Putellas had scored twice, but she still wanted more. It was the 92nd minute of Spain's 6-2 rout of Belgium when the 31-year-old took yet another shot on goal. This one sailed over, but she could not contain her smile at the final whistle. For the second time in a row at the European Championship, she was the player of the match. Advertisement Putellas had picked up that award in the 5-0 opening win against Portugal and it was a similar story of dominance against Belgium. Along with her two goals, she provided two assists, made six key passes, produced seven shots on goal, won six of her nine duels and took 111 touches according to Sofascore — only bettered by team-mate Patri Guijarro (142). The Barcelona midfielder is hungry, in tune and showing a confidence she has often lacked since 2022. The closer this summer's Euros approached, the more Putellas' face lit up when anyone mentioned the competition. This is the first time she has played at a European Championship in eight years — an anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury on the eve of the last edition in England sidelined her for nearly 10 months. More than that, however, this is the first international tournament Putellas has been able to truly enjoy. This is despite winning her first Champions League title in 2021, lifting the first of two Ballon d'Or awards at the end of that season — a first for Spanish women's football — and helping Spain claim their first World Cup in 2023. Putellas' ACL tear in a training session came when she was at her peak. 'At that moment, my knee didn't hurt,' Putellas said in her documentary, Labor Omnia Vincit. 'Something else hurt: missing what I thought was going to be the best moment of my football career, the best I had ever felt.' It was a huge psychological blow, one that prompted Putellas to text her mother and her agent saying she would have to give up football. That proved to be premature, as Putellas returned to the pitch in April 2023 and was back in the Spain squad for that summer's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand. She played seven times and provided an assist but had not built up enough rhythm to show her best form. Advertisement Then, in a Champions League match with Benfica in November of the following season, she injured her left knee again. She underwent surgery and was kept out for three months. The turning point was the 2024 Champions League final in Bilbao against Lyon. With Barca leading 1-0, Putellas came on in the 92nd minute — she had also come on for a few minutes in the 2023 final against Wolfsburg — and produced a decisive impact. In the 95th minute, she scored to make it 2-0 just when Lyon were pushing for extra time. She promptly ran towards the fans and took off her shirt in a reflex action. Not only had Barca defeated a team they had often struggled to beat, but Putellas had put the worst period of her career behind her. Sources close to the player, who prefer to remain anonymous to protect relationships, say this is when Putellas' 2024-25 season began. And she continued in that vein this campaign, regaining her place in Barca's starting line-up and shining as one of Liga F's outstanding players. Putellas has played 2,797 minutes across 39 matches, scoring 22 goals in all competitions — just four fewer than in her Ballon d'Or-winning 2020-21 season. In November, she scored her 200th goal for Barcelona — she has 213 in official matches. She was the team's top assist provider this term (16) and the team's third-highest scorer, behind only Ewa Pajor (a remarkable 47 goals) and Claudia Pina (26). In the history of Barca's men's and women's teams, only Lionel Messi and Cesar Rodriguez have scored more goals in official matches than Putellas. Barca lifted Liga F, Copa de la Reina and Supercopa de Espana titles as expected, but came up short in the Champions League final against Arsenal. Putellas did not shine in that game, but the disappointment does not seem to have affected her performances with Spain. Advertisement People close to her say that she has been mentally noting all the criticism and doubts that were expressed about her when she returned from injury and was not performing at the same level as before. They say this is like fuel for her. No date provided greater fuel than the start of the Euros. Not only because of this being her third appearance at the tournament after playing in 2013 and 2017, but also because the last edition was where she fell to her lowest ebb — and because it is the only major medal she has not won. Putellas is an icon of Barcelona and Spanish football. Since joining the club in July 2012, she has undergone all phases of Barca's professionalisation. Until recently, she was the only big name in the media spotlight of Spanish women's football, whether she liked it or not. But the growth of the game, particularly since the World Cup win, means she now shares the spotlight with other players. Multiple dressing-room sources have told The Athletic she remains the most influential player behind the scenes for both club and country. She formed a tight-knit group with Jenni Hermoso and Irene Paredes, who often jokingly called themselves 'the dinosaurs' as they had been with the national team for such a long time (although Hermoso has been left out of this tournament). But the reality is that Putellas still has plenty of her best years ahead of her. 'Let's leave her alone, let's not put that pressure on her,' Paredes warned the press in Thun after that win against Belgium, which qualified Spain for the quarter-finals. 'Because of who she is, because of her achievements, she carries a lot of weight. When she is calm and confident, we all benefit.' Putellas, meanwhile, chose to draw attention to her team-mates in her post-match press conference — highlighting Esther Gonzalez's pressing, the passing of Claudia Pina and Mariona Caldentey, and Athenea del Castillo's runs in behind. 'I want it to be Spain's Euros, I don't care if it's mine or not,' she said in an interview with Marca this week. With a fully fit Putellas, Spain may make it just that.
Gulf Today
08-07-2025
- Sport
- Gulf Today
Spain sweep aside Belgium to boost hopes of reaching quarter-finals
Spain closed in on a place in the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 by hammering Belgium 6-2 to continue their perfect start in Switzerland. A brace from Alexia Putellas and further goals from Irene Paredes, Esther Gonzalez, Mariona Caldentey and Claudia Pina gave Group B leaders Spain a second thumping win. Montse Tome's team will be guaranteed a spot in the last eight if Portugal do not beat Italy in Geneva, but their passage is almost guaranteed after hitting 11 goals over their two matches. Belgium, who twice levelled through Justine Vanhaevermaet and Hannah Eurlings, are close to going home after being blown away by relentless waves of attacking football. When Putellas finished off a beautiful spell of quick passing in the 22nd minute it looked like the beginning of a thumping win similar to the 5-0 destruction of Portugal in the opening round. Yet seconds later Vanhaevermaet levelled with the simplest of goals, nodding home Tessa Wullaert's corner. Paredes put Spain back in the lead six minutes before the break with a bullet header from Pina's deep corner. Again Belgium hit back, this time through Eurlings who sprung the offside trap before rifling home in the 50th minute. Gonzalez netted her third goal of the tournament two minutes later after collecting Putellas' neat through ball. The game was up when Caldentey bundled home from a corner just after the hour. Pina smashed in her first goal of the tournament with 10 minutes remaining, and appropriately it was Putellas' deft flick which completed the rout shortly afterwards. On this form Spain look a class above the rest of the tournament and heavy favourites to win the country's first ever women's European crown. Earlier, Geraldine Reuteler got the opening goal and Alayah Pilgrim scored a late second as hosts Switzerland beat Iceland 2-0 on Sunday to keep alive their hopes of a place in the knockout stage by registering their first win in Group A at the Women's Euros. The result means Norway, who beat Finland 2-1, will go through as group winners, while the Swiss will play Finland in their final group game in Geneva on Wednesday with second place and a spot in the last eight up for grabs. Iceland became the first team to be eliminated from the competition. 'We wanted to win that game and we got carried by our fans. In the end we created the chances needed to win... I am so happy,' Swiss captain Lia Walti said. The tropical heat of the last week gave way to a cool evening and a light but persistent rain that made the pitch slick and slippery, raising the stakes for the two sides, neither of whom had much margin for error after losing their opening group games. There were ominous signs for the hosts in the first minute when Ingibjorg Sigurdarsdottir sent a thunderous shot off the crossbar, shocking the majority of the 29,658 fans in attendance. The Swiss had the ball in the net on the half-hour mark after Svenja Foelmli's header was helped into her own goal by Glodis Viggosdottir, but the strike was ruled out after a VAR review found that Foelmli had committed a foul in the build-up. It took until the 76th minute for Reuteler to break the deadlock in a tough, tense encounter as Iceland lost the ball in midfield and Sydney Schertenlieb slid it into her path to fire home confidently, capping off another superb individual display. Substitute Pilgrim then wrapped up the three points with a deflected shot that flew into the net to send the crowd into a frenzy, with the promise of another big night of football for the hosts on the immediate horizon. 'When we scored the first goal, the 1-0, it was a fantastic feeling -- now there are 30,000 in the stands who are celebrating for us. It's a good feeling, it was overwhelming in a way. It just exploded in here,' Swiss midfielder Smilla Valotto told reporters. Agencies
The 42
07-07-2025
- Sport
- The 42
Relentless Spain thump Belgium to close in on Euros quarters
SPAIN CLOSED in on a place in the quarter-finals of Women's Euro 2025 by hammering Belgium 6-2 to continue their perfect start in Switzerland. A brace from Alexia Putellas and further goals from Irene Paredes, Esther Gonzalez, Mariona Caldentey and Claudia Pina gave Group B leaders Spain a second thumping win. Montse Tome's team will be guaranteed a spot in the last eight if Portugal do not beat Italy later in Geneva, but their passage is almost guaranteed after hitting 11 goals over their two matches. Belgium, who twice levelled through Justine Vanhaevermaet and Hannah Eurlings, are close to going home after being blown away by relentless waves of attacking football. When Putellas finished off a beautiful spell of quick passing in the 22nd minute it looked like the beginning of a thumping win similar to the 5-0 destruction of Portugal in the opening round. Advertisement Yet seconds later Vanhaevermaet levelled with the simplest of goals, nodding home Tessa Wullaert's corner. Paredes put Spain back in the lead six minutes before the break with a bullet header from Pina's deep corner. Again Belgium hit back, this time through Eurlings who sprung the offside trap before rifling home in the 50th minute. Gonzalez netted her third goal of the tournament two minutes later after collecting Putellas' neat through ball. The game was up when Caldentey bundled home from a corner just after the hour. Pina smashed in her first goal of the tournament with 10 minutes remaining, and appropriately it was Putellas' deft flick which completed the rout shortly afterwards. On this form, Spain look a class above the rest of the tournament and heavy favourites to win the country's first-ever women's European crown. – © AFP 2025
