Latest news with #WomenEuros
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Barcelona effect on Spain: The pros and cons of a club dominating the national side
When you watch Spain you get the feeling this is a team that play alongside each other every weekend, as if it were club football rather than a group thrown together on the international stage. The reason? In large part, it is because so many players come from one club, to a far greater extent than is usually the case with national teams. Advertisement Following Spain's 6-2 win over Belgium, Michael Cox wrote that 'it is not unfair to suggest that football this cohesive and sophisticated would have been almost unthinkable a decade ago in the women's game'. Given the influence and volume of Barcelona players on Montse Tome's team, it comes as no surprise the reigning world champions have been one of the standout sides at the Women's Euros so far, winning all three of their group games, scoring 14 goals (no team has more) and setting up a quarter-final against hosts Switzerland on Friday. In the 5-0 victory against Portugal, there were five Barcelona players in the starting line-up: Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Vicky Lopez, Alexia Putellas and Claudia Pina. That's without adding Laia Aleixandri, who spent her formative years with Barca and has just re-signed for the Catalan club from Manchester City, or Mariona Caldentey, who played there for 10 years before leaving last summer. That list of five might have been seven had Irene Paredes not been suspended and Cata Coll not had tonsillitis. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati was only a substitute for the opening game because she was in the final stages of recovery from viral meningitis, which she contracted shortly before the start of the tournament. She was replaced in the starting line-up by another Barca player: Lopez. Two of their club team-mates were also brought on as substitutes: Salma Paralluelo and Jana Fernandez. Advertisement That makes eight of the 16 players who featured in the match. In the thrashing of Belgium, the starting line-up was the same as against Portugal, with the addition of Paredes, and against Italy (3-1) changes were made but the side still featured six Barca players. Fernandez replaced Batlle, Bonmati came in for Lopez and Pina did not play, but Paralluelo did. Leila Ouahabi, from Manchester City, has spent a huge part of her career at Barca. Eight of the 11 players selected for that match either play or have played for them. And that is even though Coll, who is expected to be the starting goalkeeper for the rest of the competition, has not yet made her first appearance at these Euros. In a Nations League match on April 8 against Portugal (7-1), Tome fielded a starting XI of players who all either play for Barcelona now or had done at some point in their careers. Advertisement There were eight active Barca players (Coll, Fernandez, Paredes, Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas, Pina, Paralluelo) along with Caldentey, Aleixandri and Ouahabi. Of the 23 called up for Euro 2025, 10 are current Barcelona players — 11 if you count Aleixandri. Thirteen either are or have been Barcelona players. But why is it like this? Obviously, this dominance is not a coincidence — it is the result of years of strategic development, local talent cultivation and a footballing philosophy deeply rooted in the identity of both club and country. The women's side of the Catalan club has never been stronger. They have played in the past five Champions League finals, winning three and losing two. In La Liga, they have been champions for six consecutive seasons. Advertisement While Barca do have overseas stars — their team that started the Champions League final in May included Denmark's Caroline Graham Hansen, Poland's Ewa Pajor and Sweden's Fridolina Rolfo — they have a strategy that prioritises local talent first. They consider Catalonia and Spain in general to be one of the best breeding grounds for footballers. This is especially true for finding those who fit Barca's style of play — a game of touch, possession and attack that they believe is naturally understood by players who have grown up in the region. Their plan is to build a solid core of Spaniards in the first team, complemented by international talent to make the team more complete and competitive. This is true for both the women's and men's teams. Advertisement However, this has not always been the case. The turning point came in 2015, when Barcelona's women's side turned professional. Since then, they have become the best team in Spain, light years ahead of the rest — even Real Madrid. This has also meant a better academy has been built and that players are being developed with a clear understanding of the Barca DNA. Lopez is a prime example — one of the first products to come out of La Masia, to have lived there and the 18-year-old is part of a generation that is already much better prepared for the first team than those players who came before her. By focusing on local talent first, the club has become a breeding ground for players who are eligible to play for Spain. And if the team is at such a high level and has brought together one of its best generations, the answer is quite simple. There is a stylistic synergy between club and the national team. Both sides emphasise possession-based football, positional play, and quick passing — hallmarks of the famed 'tiki-taka' approach that Barcelona helped define over the past two decades. Advertisement Tome — and Jorge Vilda before her — is aware of the advantage of fielding players accustomed to this system, so naturally leans on Barca's core group. These players do not just fit the style — they have lived and breathed it since they were young. Choosing players who already have strong on-field relationships — like those built at club level — provides an invaluable advantage. And you can tell that while watching Spain games. 'The fact the national team has so many Barca players tells me that my club is doing a great job and that's why it's producing so many international players,' Putellas said in an interview with Diario Sport. 'Not just for Spain, but for other national teams as well. And it speaks highly of us, of the competitive team we have, all capable of playing in big games.' That is why the best teams in Spain, which have won major titles, coincide with great generations of Barcelona players. The 2010 men's World Cup was won during Barca's 'Guardiola era', just one year after they won the club's first treble. Advertisement The same is true for the women's team, which is starting to win tournaments after previously always falling in the first knockout stage. Since 2023, they have won a World Cup and a Nations League, and they are clear favourites for the Euros. This is a period in which Barca have won consecutive Champions Leagues and reached a final, which they lost to Arsenal. That is not to say there is no downside. Barca's dominance of the women's football landscape in Spain is self-perpetuating — the more successful they are, the more they attract the best young talent and the harder it is for other teams to compete. They have won the Liga F title by eight, 15, 10, 24 and 25 points respectively over the past five seasons. No other Spanish team has yet reached a Women's Champions League semi-final. In the long run, this might not be healthy for Barcelona either because it means a less competitive league that does not help them prepare for European competitions. Historically, Spain has nurtured and taken advantage of Barcelona's happy years, translating them into historic success for the national team. And seeing how the club are increasingly taking care of its football academy, it does not seem this dynamic is going to change. Advertisement Spain has its magic formula for success and the hope is they will capitalise on it this summer. This article originally appeared in The Athletic. Barcelona, Spain, Women's Soccer, Women's Euros 2025 The Athletic Media Company
New York Times
7 hours ago
- Sport
- New York Times
The Barcelona effect on Spain: The pros and cons of a club dominating the national side
When you watch Spain you get the feeling this is a team that play alongside each other every weekend, as if it were club football rather than a group thrown together on the international stage. The reason? In large part, it is because so many players come from one club, to a far greater extent than is usually the case with national teams. Advertisement Following Spain's 6-2 win over Belgium, The Athletic's Michael Cox wrote that 'it is not unfair to suggest that football this cohesive and sophisticated would have been almost unthinkable a decade ago in the women's game'. Given the influence and volume of Barcelona players on Montse Tome's team, it comes as no surprise the reigning world champions have been one of the standout sides at the Women's Euros so far, winning all three of their group games, scoring 14 goals (no team has more) and setting up a quarter-final against hosts Switzerland on Friday. In the 5-0 victory against Portugal, there were five Barcelona players in the starting line-up: Ona Batlle, Patri Guijarro, Vicky Lopez, Alexia Putellas and Claudia Pina. That's without adding Laia Aleixandri, who spent her formative years with Barca and has just re-signed for the Catalan club from Manchester City, or Mariona Caldentey, who played there for 10 years before leaving last summer. That list of five might have been seven had Irene Paredes not been suspended and Cata Coll not had tonsillitis. Two-time Ballon d'Or winner Aitana Bonmati was only a substitute for the opening game because she was in the final stages of recovery from viral meningitis, which she contracted shortly before the start of the tournament. She was replaced in the starting line-up by another Barca player: Lopez. Two of their club team-mates were also brought on as substitutes: Salma Paralluelo and Jana Fernandez. That makes eight of the 16 players who featured in the match. In the thrashing of Belgium, the starting line-up was the same as against Portugal, with the addition of Paredes, and against Italy (3-1) changes were made but the side still featured six Barca players. Fernandez replaced Batlle, Bonmati came in for Lopez and Pina did not play, but Paralluelo did. Leila Ouahabi, from Manchester City, has spent a huge part of her career at Barca. Eight of the 11 players selected for that match either play or have played for them. And that is even though Coll, who is expected to be the starting goalkeeper for the rest of the competition, has not yet made her first appearance at these Euros. Advertisement In a Nations League match on April 8 against Portugal (7-1), Tome fielded a starting XI of players who all either play for Barcelona now or had done at some point in their careers. There were eight active Barca players (Coll, Fernandez, Paredes, Bonmati, Guijarro, Putellas, Pina, Paralluelo) along with Caldentey, Aleixandri and Ouahabi. Of the 23 called up for Euro 2025, 10 are current Barcelona players — 11 if you count Aleixandri. Thirteen either are or have been Barcelona players. But why is it like this? Obviously, this dominance is not a coincidence — it is the result of years of strategic development, local talent cultivation and a footballing philosophy deeply rooted in the identity of both club and country. The women's side of the Catalan club has never been stronger. They have played in the past five Champions League finals, winning three and losing two. In La Liga, they have been champions for six consecutive seasons. While Barca do have overseas stars — their team that started the Champions League final in May included Denmark's Caroline Graham Hansen, Poland's Ewa Pajor and Sweden's Fridolina Rolfo — they have a strategy that prioritises local talent first. They consider Catalonia and Spain in general to be one of the best breeding grounds for footballers. This is especially true for finding those who fit Barca's style of play — a game of touch, possession and attack that they believe is naturally understood by players who have grown up in the region. Their plan is to build a solid core of Spaniards in the first team, complemented by international talent to make the team more complete and competitive. This is true for both the women's and men's teams. However, this has not always been the case. The turning point came in 2015, when Barcelona's women's side turned professional. Since then, they have become the best team in Spain, light years ahead of the rest — even Real Madrid. Advertisement This has also meant a better academy has been built and that players are being developed with a clear understanding of the Barca DNA. Lopez is a prime example — one of the first products to come out of La Masia, to have lived there and the 18-year-old is part of a generation that is already much better prepared for the first team than those players who came before her. By focusing on local talent first, the club has become a breeding ground for players who are eligible to play for Spain. And if the team is at such a high level and has brought together one of its best generations, the answer is quite simple. There is a stylistic synergy between club and the national team. Both sides emphasise possession-based football, positional play, and quick passing — hallmarks of the famed 'tiki-taka' approach that Barcelona helped define over the past two decades. Tome — and Jorge Vilda before her — is aware of the advantage of fielding players accustomed to this system, so naturally leans on Barca's core group. These players do not just fit the style — they have lived and breathed it since they were young. Choosing players who already have strong on-field relationships — like those built at club level — provides an invaluable advantage. And you can tell that while watching Spain games. 'The fact the national team has so many Barca players tells me that my club is doing a great job and that's why it's producing so many international players,' Putellas said in an interview with Diario Sport. 'Not just for Spain, but for other national teams as well. And it speaks highly of us, of the competitive team we have, all capable of playing in big games.' That is why the best teams in Spain, which have won major titles, coincide with great generations of Barcelona players. The 2010 men's World Cup was won during Barca's 'Guardiola era', just one year after they won the club's first treble. Advertisement The same is true for the women's team, which is starting to win tournaments after previously always falling in the first knockout stage. Since 2023, they have won a World Cup and a Nations League, and they are clear favourites for the Euros. This is a period in which Barca have won consecutive Champions Leagues and reached a final, which they lost to Arsenal. That is not to say there is no downside. Barca's dominance of the women's football landscape in Spain is self-perpetuating — the more successful they are, the more they attract the best young talent and the harder it is for other teams to compete. They have won the Liga F title by eight, 15, 10, 24 and 25 points respectively over the past five seasons. No other Spanish team has yet reached a Women's Champions League semi-final. In the long run, this might not be healthy for Barcelona either because it means a less competitive league that does not help them prepare for European competitions. Historically, Spain has nurtured and taken advantage of Barcelona's happy years, translating them into historic success for the national team. And seeing how the club are increasingly taking care of its football academy, it does not seem this dynamic is going to change. Spain has its magic formula for success and the hope is they will capitalise on it this summer. (Andrea Amato/NurPhoto via Getty Images).
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Daily Mail
Ada Hegerberg is a BOOSTED 16/1 with Sky Bet to score 2+ goals as Norway face Italy in the Women's Euros quarter-finals
Sky Bet are offering a series of Price Boosts for Norway's quarter-final against Italy at the Women's Euros on Wednesday. Norway have been perfect at the tournament to date with three straight wins putting them into the last eight of the competition as Group A winners. They are priced as 19/10 favourites with Sky Bet to win their quarter-final against Italy, who were runners-up in Group B after a win, draw and a defeat in their three matches. Italy are seen as 7/5 outsiders to make the semi-finals. Sky Bet are also offering four Price Boosts for the upcoming clash, which will take place in Geneva. Norway star Ada Hegerberg has been boosted from 12/1 to 16/1 to score two or more goals against Italy. Hegerberg has scored once so far at the tournament, while Italy shipped four goals across their three group matches. Both teams to have two or more shots on target in each half has also been boosted from 5/1 to 6/1. Italy's Arianna Caruso is now 1/1 to have one or more shots on target in the quarter-final, while Manuela Giugliano is 5/1 to commit three or more fouls. The odds have been boosted from 8/11 and 4/1, respectively. Sky Bet odds for Norway vs Italy: To qualify Norway - 19/10 Italy - 7/5 Sky Bet Price Boosts for Norway vs Italy: Arianna Caruso 1+ shots on target - WAS 8/11 NOW 1/1 Manuela Giugliano 3+ fouls committed - WAS 4/1 NOW 5/1 2+ shots on target each team in each half - WAS 5/1 NOW 6/1 Ada Hegerberg to score 2+ goals - WAS 12/1 NOW 16/1
The Guardian
18 hours ago
- Sport
- The Guardian
Can Norway finally fulfil potential and end long wait for success at Euro 2025?
The perennial underachievement of the Norway women's national team is one of football's great mysteries. How can a side packed with some of the world's finest players continually make early exits at tournaments, fail to look cohesive and even suffer a chastening 8-0 defeat against England at Euro 2022? How can great talents such as Barcelona's Caroline Graham Hansen, Chelsea's Guro Reiten and the former Ballon d'Or winner Ada Hegerberg not thrive together in their national-team kit? Stop there. Hold that thought. Something is stirring. Norway topped Group A at Euro 2025 with three wins from three and face Italy on Wednesday in the quarter-finals. Is this the summer when Norway will deliver on their potential, offered not just by Graham Hansen, Reiten and Hegerberg but Arsenal's Frida Maanum and players from Manchester United, Atlético Madrid and Lyon? And with an English head coach in the former Wales manager Gemma Grainger. Norway are the second-most successful team in Women's Euros history, with two titles, but have not lifted this trophy since 1993. So far, though, 2025 has been a year of long waits ending in football, whether it was Real Madrid's women's team winning their first clásico, an English women's team lifting a European title for the first time since 2007 or Inter qualifying for the Women's Champions League for the first time. In the men's game, Crystal Palace, Newcastle and Tottenham ended trophy droughts, Paris Saint-Germain got their first men's European Cup and Harry Kane won a trophy. Rory McIlroy finally got his Masters. Last month, South Africa's men's cricket side won their first global trophy in 27 years. Maybe there is something in the air this year. Maybe, 20 years after the slogan 'good things happen to those who wait' began to be phased out in a well-known Irish stout's advertising, 2025 is the year when that comes true. Norway have been waiting 25 years for international women's football success, since their Olympic gold in Sydney in 2000, and have waited 30 years to hoist major trophy, since winning the 1995 Women's World Cup, at a time when the star of their team was Hege Riise, who temporarily preceded Sarina Wiegman in the Lionesses dugout. In the past two Euros they crashed out at the group stage. The former Tottenham and Norway men's national team goalkeeper Erik Thorstvedt, who got 97 caps and is in Switzerland as a pundit for the Norwegian broadcaster TV.2, says the past few tournaments were 'a bit disastrous' but explains: 'I think we have become a bit of a victim of the general rise in level of women's football. Because we were quite early to it, we had lots of girls playing football quite early, so we had an advantage, but now when the big nations really go for it, and they become professional and you have academies in Spain and stuff like that, it's becoming more difficult to beat those teams. And now you have all the other late developers that are maybe in population a bit bigger than Norway, so it becomes difficult to beat them too.' During this tournament, Norway have beaten Switzerland, Finland and Iceland by a one-goal margin. Thorstvedt was not hugely impressed by the performances in their first two wins but said: 'I'm so much more optimistic and so much happier now after the third match because, against Iceland, we played really well. It was like: 'Take these shackles off my feet so I can dance.' Suddenly it was enjoyable, suddenly it was like we have got a good team. There was no pressure because we had already won the group, so that mentality might have played into it, so I just hope we get to see a Norway team that plays with freedom.' Italy are higher in Fifa's world rankings than any of those three group opponents and are on an impressive run. Thorstvedt said: 'I've seen all of Italy's good matches and they're a good team. If Norway can beat Italy and reach a semi-final you can't argue with that – it's a humongous success. If we lose to Italy, I think the final verdict will be determined by the way we lose, maybe, whereas if we win that would be totally incredible. Gemma Grainger seems to have created a good atmosphere in the group and things are looking good.'
CNA
20 hours ago
- Sport
- CNA
Norway's Grainger facing Gaupset selection dilemma ahead of Italy clash
Norway forward Signe Gaupset's two goals and two assists in their final group game against Iceland have given coach Gemma Grainger a lot to ponder ahead of their quarter-final clash with Italy at the Women's Euros in Geneva on Wednesday. With the group already won, the 20-year-old replaced Guro Reiten on the left side of the attack and seized the opportunity, scoring twice and teeing up Frida Maanum for two more goals leading to calls from fans for Gaupset to start. "With Signe, the Iceland performance, that wasn't so much of a surprise to any of us. We see Signe training every day and that's how she is," Grainger told reporters, remaining tight-lipped about her plans. "With the rest of the team, the competitiveness has been really high and for me as a manager that's exactly the position that I want to be in, and it's a position that I want the team to be in also." The Norwegians have appeared to be in high spirits at their training base on the shore of Lake Neuchatel, with the players laughing and joking and signing autographs for fans. However, captain Ada Hegerberg, who recently spoke to Reuters about her will to inspire at the tournament, said that the chance of a spot in the last four is a huge opportunity for her side. "It's an incredibly big moment for us. We have had a very good energy, the whole team. Everyone has contributed," Hegerberg, who played in Norway's 2013 final defeat by Germany, told reporters. "We want to have a good match tomorrow, we want to grab the opportunity to be in the top four in Europe, that would be incredible," she added.
