Alexia Putellas is the best soccer player in the world. She was to lead Spain to their first title at the European Championships in England. But even before the tournament begins, the shock comes: she limps out of the team hotel on crutches. The EM will take place without her and all of Spain will cry with her.
The mascara held, but the reddened eyes showed signs of tears. When Alexia Putellas hobbled out of the team hotel on crutches, only managed to get into the VW bus for the trip to the hospital with help and sniffed incessantly, all of Spain football cried with his star player. “We are all with you,” headlined the “AS”, which, like other sports newspapers, dedicated the first two pages to the world footballer’s end of the European Championship: “The dream has burst.”
Indeed, it was firmly expected on the Iberian peninsula that the captain of the Seleccion Espanola Femenina would lead her team-mates to their first European title while making her mark on the finals. The German selection should have suffered from the dominance of the 28-year-olds in their second preliminary round match next Tuesday.
But the “drama about Alexia” (“Sport”) thwarted the plans of the Spaniards, who recently had to cope with the loss of record goalscorer Jennifer Hermoso. Putellas’ anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee tore towards the end of Tuesday’s training session, shortly after the FC Barcelona attacking midfielder had happily sunk free-kicks into the corner of the goal. The devastating diagnosis a little later in London’s King Edward VII Hospital turned the anticipation of the tournament into deep disappointment.
And the shock is deep. After all, the injury of the currently best player in the world not only puts a big question mark over Spain’s chances of success at the European Championship – which begins for the team on Friday with the game against Finland.
The absence of at least six months for the record capper, who was aiming to make her 101st cap for her country against Finland, also jeopardizes Putellas’ performance on the even bigger stage. It is doubtful that the linchpin of Spain’s squad will be in top form again for next year’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand (20 July to 20 August).
And what Putellas is capable of in the best of shape has been marveled at over and over again in the recent past. She is the figurehead of FC Barcelona, ??who are electrifying the crowds after their rise to become the dominant club in Europe by winning the Champions League in 2021 and reaching the final this year.
The fact that Putellas makes the hearts of Barça fans beat faster is also due to her CV. As a child, she couldn’t get too close to the male idols at the Camp Nou. Little Alexia wanted to sit further and further in order to be able to watch Rivaldo, Xavi, Andres Iniesta and Lionel Messi very closely – around 20 years later, the “Culers” are now at the feet of the gifted pacesetter of their club.
And not just them. The sponsors are now also queuing up. Putellas’ importance is underscored by the contract with the luxury watch manufacturer Hublot. There she is in a row with Novak Djokovic, Usain Bolt, Kylian Mbappé and Pelé. But even the most expensive watch can’t turn back time before Tuesday’s training session.
