When Barcelona lost the 2022 Women’s Champions League final to Lyon in Turin, one player’s face stood out among her team-mates’ anguished expressions.
Aitana Bonmati took her silver medal, gave it a kiss and went to thank the travelling fans. As she applauded those supporters, she made a promise to them: “We’ll be back.” The next year, Barca won their second Champions League title with a fine comeback win against Wolfsburg.
After Barca lost the first leg of this season’s Champions League semi-final against Chelsea at Montjuic, Bonmati once again fronted up to the media. The midfielder was angry about how Emma Hayes’ side had played, especially when it came to running the clock down to protect their 1-0 lead.
“To me, that’s playing dirty,” she said. Her anger was shared by Barcelona’s staff and fans.
It produced a similar result. As player of the match in the second leg, Bonmati carried Barca to their fourth consecutive Champions League final and their fifth in the last six years. She levelled the tie with her 25th-minute effort at Stamford Bridge and won the penalty from which Fridolina Rolfo sealed the win with 15 minutes left.
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Bonmati’s competitive nature and unbridled ambition is infectious. She has become a symbol for Barca through her style of play, lifting the 2023 Ballon d’Or at the club she was formed at, while wearing the No 14 — the same shirt worn by Johan Cruyff.
But the 26-year-old’s positivity in the face of adversity has sometimes clashed with the outlook of a club who enjoy uncontested dominance in Spain.
“We are not used to losing, but we have full confidence,” Bonmati said before the second leg against Chelsea. “It is a challenge that motivates us.”
After the 2022 final loss, Barca focused on becoming more competitive after falling behind in games. Last season’s final against Wolfsburg in Eindhoven was the crowning achievement of that work, as Barca came back from 2-0 down to win the title 3-2.
Bonmati played a key role in last season’s Champions League title victory (Tullio Puglia – UEFA/UEFA via Getty Images)
It has been a busy week for Bonmati. She spoke extensively to the media after the Chelsea defeat — something she is not afraid of doing for club or country. She assumed that role during Spain’s triumphant World Cup campaign last summer, even after a painful 4-0 drubbing against Japan in the group stage. Both Bonmati and her entourage are very clear it is something she must do.
This week also saw the premiere of a documentary on Bonmati on Catalan station TV3 after the cameras had followed the midfielder for two years.
One moment showed Bonmati interacting with Pep Guardiola. She picked up the Manchester City boss at his home in Barcelona and they went for a chat in one of the city’s hotels. During that conversation, they joked about the possibility of Guardiola becoming president of Barca — and how he would sign her up to the the men’s team’s sporting director.
Bonmati went to Madrid to collect the Laureus award for the World Sportswoman of the year last week. 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 first-ever plane for their travels.
She was equally visible in the second leg against Chelsea, darting into the box to score a deflected opener at Stamford Bridge. She celebrated by grabbing the badge on her shirt and kissing it. Barcelona’s social media accounts did not hesitate in drawing parallels with another of their iconic midfielders.
Stamford Bridge magic 💛✨ pic.twitter.com/ZeKCmkbmSB
— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona) April 27, 2024
Bonmati went on to win Rolfo’s decisive penalty as she was brought down by a combination of Jess Carter and Ashley Lawrence. That followed a controversial red card for Chelsea defender Kadeisha Buchanan that tilted the game in Barca’s favour. But Bonmati was everywhere for the visitors.
It is not the first time she has shown her leadership qualities. Bonmati was integral to Spain’s World Cup win, pushing La Roja forward after that upset against Japan. This was another big challenge, with a sell-out crowd against Barca and the kind of rival they lack in their domestic competition, Liga F.
In added time, Bonmati threw herself to the floor. Some might have thought she was doing it to get back at Chelsea given her words from the first leg, but she had pulled up with cramp and had to be withdrawn for another Ballon d’Or winner in Alexia Putellas.
Bonmati was named Laureus World Sportswoman of the year last week (Juan Naharro Gimenez/Getty Images for Montblanc)
When the full-time whistle blew, Bonmati came running out of the dugout in her coat to hug Rolfo and midfielder Ingrid Engen. The three players hugged each other and jumped up and down in celebration.
Perhaps this is exactly what the serial winners needed. Those at the club say they saw the hunger in players’ eyes from the moment they lost the first leg in Barcelona.
Now they face an even bigger test in the final — their bogey team in Lyon, who beat them in the 2019 and 2022 finals.
Beating the record Champions League holders on May 25 in Bilbao would see Barca remain as 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)
