When Barcelona lost the 2022 Women’s Champions League final to Lyon in Turin, one player’s face stood out among the anguished expressions of her teammates.
Aitana Bonmati took her silver medal, kissed it and went to thank the traveling fans. While applauding these supporters, she promised them: “We will come back”. The following year, Barça won their second Champions League title with a great victory against Wolfsburg.
After Barca lost the first leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea at Montjuic this season, Bonmati spoke to the media again. The midfielder was angry with the way Emma Hayes’ side had played, particularly when it came to running down the clock to protect their 1-0 lead.
“To me, that’s playing dirty,” she says. His anger was shared by the Barcelona staff and supporters.
This produced a similar result. As the second leg player, Bonmati took Barca to their fourth consecutive Champions League final and fifth in the last six years. She leveled with her 25th-minute effort at Stamford Bridge and won the penalty from which Fridolina Rolfo sealed the victory 15 minutes from time.
GO FURTHER
Exclusive interview with Aitana Bonmati: ‘There is no hiding place. It’s what comes naturally to me’
Bonmati’s competitive nature and unbridled ambition are contagious. She has become a symbol for Barca thanks to her style of play, winning the 2023 Ballon d’Or at the club where she was trained, while wearing the number 14 – the same jersey worn by Johan Cruyff.
But the 26-year-old’s positivity in the face of adversity has at times clashed with the prospects of a club that enjoys undisputed dominance in Spain.
“We are not used to losing, but we have full confidence,” Bonmati said ahead of the second leg against Chelsea. “It’s a challenge that motivates us.”
After the 2022 final defeat, Barca strived to become more competitive after falling behind in matches. Last season’s final against Wolfsburg in Eindhoven was the culmination of that work, as Barca came back from 2-0 down to win the title 3-2.
It’s been a busy week for Bonmati. She spoke extensively to the media after the Chelsea defeat – something she is not afraid to do for club or country. She assumed that role during Spain’s triumphant World Cup campaign last summer, even after a painful 4-0 defeat to Japan in the group stage. Bonmati and those around her are very clear that this is something she needs to do.
This week also saw the premiere of a documentary on Bonmati on Catalan channel TV3, after cameras followed the midfielder for two years.
One moment showed Bonmati interacting with Pep Guardiola. She went to pick up the Manchester City coach from his home in Barcelona and they went to chat in one of the city’s hotels. During that conversation, they joked about the possibility of Guardiola becoming Barca president – and how he would recruit her as sporting director of the men’s team.
Bonmati traveled to Madrid last week to receive the Laureus World Sportswoman of the Year award. She was then present in Barcelona for the announcement of an agreement between the club and the airline Vueling, which gave the women’s team their very first plane for their travels.
She was also visible in the second leg against Chelsea, racing into the box to score a deflected opener at Stamford Bridge. She celebrated by grabbing the badge on his shirt and kissing it. Barcelona’s social media didn’t hesitate to draw parallels with another of their iconic midfielders.
The magic of Stamford Bridge 💛✨ pic.twitter.com/ZeKCmkbmSB
– FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 27, 2024
Bonmati then won Rolfo’s decisive penalty as she was brought down by a combination of Jess Carter and Ashley Lawrence. This followed a controversial red card for Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan which tipped the scales in Barca’s favour. But Bonmati was everywhere for the visitors.
This is not the first time she has demonstrated her leadership qualities. Bonmati played a vital role in Spain’s World Cup victory, pushing La Roja forward after that upset against Japan. It was another big challenge, with a full house against Barça and the kind of rival they lack in their domestic competition, Liga F.
In added time, Bonmati threw himself to the ground. Some might have thought she was doing it to get back to Chelsea given her words from the first leg, but she had stopped with cramps and had to be taken off for another Ballon d’Or winner in Alexia Putellas.
At the final whistle, Bonmati ran out of the dugout, wearing her coat, to hug Rolfo and midfielder Ingrid Engen. The three players hugged each other and jumped up and down in celebration.
Maybe that’s just what serial winners needed. Club members say they saw the hunger in the players’ eyes from the moment they lost the first leg to Barcelona.
They now face an even bigger test in the final: their scarecrow team in Lyon, who beat them in the 2019 and 2022 finals.
Breaking the record for Champions League holders on May 25 in Bilbao would allow Barça to remain the best team in Europe. It won’t be easy, but Bonmati and Co have shown they are up for a challenge.
(Top photo: Crystal Pix/MB Media/Getty Images)