World Soccer - UK (2022-01)

Women’sWorldPlayeroftheYear

ALEXIA

PUTELLAS

PREVIOUSWINNERS

2020 PernilleHarder,Wolfsburg/Chelsea

&Denmark

Women’sWorldPlayeroftheYear

2020 Jean-LucVasseur,Lyon

Women’sWorldManageroftheYear

2020 Lyon

Women’sWorldTeamoftheYear

ouroftheplayersthathelped

Barcatolast season’s treble

featureinthetopsevenofthis

year’sWomen’sWorldPlayer of theYear

vote, withAlexiaPutellasandJennifer

Hermosofinishingfirstandsecond

onthepodiumrespectively.

Itmarks anincrediblehaulofhonours

forPutellasin 2021 , whowascrucialin

Barcelona’streble-winningcampaignand

subsequentlybecamethefirst Spanish

winneroftheUEFAWomen’sPlayer of

theYearandWomen’sBallond’Or,as

wellasSpainWomen’s Playerof theYear.

She’s registeredover 55 goalsand

assistsforclubandcountrythiscalendar

year, includingapenaltyintheWomen’s

ChampionsLeaguefinalandabracein

theCopadelaReinafinal,inwhichshe

wasalsonamedPlayerof theMatch.

Thedepartureof VickyLosadain

thesummer toManchester Citysaw

theattackingmidfieldertakeover the

captain’s armbandonapermanentbasis,

anditdidn’ttakelongfor hertolift her

first trophy;Barcabeat Italianchampions

Juventus6- 0 intheinauguralWomen’s

GamperTrophyinAugust.

“IntheGampergamemyteam-

matessaidtomethatI hadtotrainlifting

trophiesbecauseuptonowI hadnot

doneit,” sherevealedinaninterviewwith

theclub.“It is aspecialmomentbutyou

arenotonyourown,theimportantthing

isthepathyouhavechosentogetthere

andhowyoudidit.”

Barcelonarenewedhercontractin

Septemberfor afurtherthreeyears,

andshecelebratedlaterthatmonthby

nettingoneofthefastesthat-tricksin

theclub’s history. Shescoredthreegoals

infourminutesinthe 8 -0victoryover

Valencia,oneof whichwas aspectacular

strikefrom 40 yardsout.

The 27 -year-oldalsomadehistory

forLaRojain 20 21,surpassingMarta

Torrejon’s recordfornationalteam

appearanceswithher91stcapintheir

Women’s WorldCupqualifyingvictory

overUkraineinOctober.

It’scertainlybeenaremarkable 12

months,butwhatareherambitions

for 2 022?“Tocarryonthesame.My

dreamnowis tothinkthatwhenI leave

thisclubI’llbeleavingalegacy, having

giveneverythingandwontrophies.”

JaredTinslay

“MydreamnowistothinkthatwhenI leavethisclubI’llbe

leavinga legacy, havinggiveneverythingandwontrophies”

AlexiaPutellas

extremelyhappy,butithas alsobeena
verytoughseason.Westartedtraining
onJuly 10 anduntilnowthathasbeen
353 daysof very hardwork, effort,
beingtogether.
“Withalltheconditionssurrounding
COVID, I thinkthisseasonhasworn
alotofusout,bothphysicallyand
emotionally.
“RightnowI don’tfeelI havethe
energytokeepleadingthisteam.The
bestteamintheworldneedsacoach
whocandrivethem, becontagious
andtransmitstrengthtothegroupand
I don’tfeelabletodothatright now.
Ithas beenavery drainingyear.”
Aswellastheirfirst Champions
League,theCortes eraendedwithtwo
leaguetitles,twoCopasdelaReinaand
aCopaCatalunya. His 89 percentwin
percentageinallcompetitionsmade

itatoughacttofollow, butBarcaare
showingnosignsoflettingupunder
JonatanGiraldez–Cortes’former
assistant.
TheCatalansstartedthe 20 21- 22
seasonwithtenleaguewins from
ten, 58 goalsintheirfavourandjust
twoagainst.They alsotoppedtheir
ChampionsLeaguegroupatthehalfway
stage,withthreewinsfromthree,
includinga 4 -1dismantlingofArsenal.
AsGiraldezcontinuestomakehis
markonthesquad,Cortesisembarking
onasimilar missionas managerof
UkraineWomen’s team.Interestingly,
he’ll facesomeof hisformerplayers
inSeptember 2022 , as Spainand
Ukrainemeet inGroupBof the
qualifyingphaseforthe 2023 World
Cup.Whatevertheoutcome,we’ll
likelyseesomewarmembraces
onthepitchatthefinalwhistle.
JaredTinslay

“WhenI tookover,

I toldmyfriendsand

someoftheplayersthat

I wouldneverleaveuntil

thisteamwinsthe

ChampionsLeague,

andwedidit”

LluisCortes

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2 0 2 1A WA RD SR ES U L TS

Playerof theYear...

Alexia Putellas