Irene Paredes: “We’ll have to be ten”

“I started hitting the ball while taking my first steps,” the FC Barcelona defender told SPORT from the Prensa Ibérica group before heading to Eindhoven to play in the third European final. from afar,” he dreamed as a child, “I played in the street until I was fourteen because there was no women’s team back then”.

Among the thousands of beautiful things he has, his ability to always stay in the background stands out above the others. He’s not after importance. He stays out of the spotlight and yet acts like a leader and takes on responsibilities like few football players. On and off the field.

Do you look like this too?

I love being a leader and I work that way, but it’s true that I don’t like being the center of attention in and out of the locker room. Sometimes I avoid the media part, even too much. But hey, after all, profiles for everything in a locker room, there has to be a balance.

Is it difficult to escape the luxury and glitz of elite football today?

I lead a very simple life, sometimes even my colleagues laugh a little about it [ríe]. Being able to spend time with the people I love or in the places I love is a luxury for me. I recently read an article in a newspaper that talks about our cars, and it’s something I don’t really care about. Even if I can afford a little luxury, I’d rather spend my money on other things.

For several years now, there has been a lot of talk about the existence of female references. But for boys and girls, the first reference is usually mom or dad. They do everything they see, they are the first example in almost everything. You are Mateo’s mother, how important is it to you and your partner that he grows up in this environment, sees his mother as a pioneer in women’s sports and overcomes obstacles?

It’s totally simple. We are tasked with overcoming obstacles in women’s football. I’m one of the few people who has perhaps never had a female reference so far. I really loved playing football but I knew or thought I would never do it professionally because there was no such thing.

It’s completely normal now…

Fortunately, Mateo will grow up with it. When I tell him the girls didn’t play football when we were little, or we didn’t go on TV afterwards, it would sound like a movie. I met a former football player in a restaurant the other day and my family asked how I met him. And it was on the cards. It’s simple. If not, I would have met him in life. This is going to happen to women now, and it’s very, very important.

You are known as a vengeful person. How does it feel to be in a club that is part of the change?

At Barça, we are a completely direct change agent. We break down the obstacles in the game with our style of play. In women’s football we have been blamed many times for the game being slow, boring and like that. Well, I think this blow to the picture of making football attractive has been going on for a long time.

And off the field…

Moreover. It is clear that we are making this change in the women’s movement in society and in sports. We produce, there are many people following us. I hope this will be a start for it to spread to other clubs and even countries.

We break down barriers on and off the field

Racism in football is another topic that is on everyone’s lips today. However, historically, this sport has also been the site of machismo and homophobia. Is it utopian to think of football without these ‘isms’ and phobias?

I hope it will be reached. It is something that is impregnated in society, but perhaps football allows more of it. Well, maybe we should take advantage of this moment to get rid of it, to have a much cleaner and more respectful sport.

Women’s football in Spain has come to a standstill with collective bargaining negotiations. It seems we can’t move forward…

I think you have to know how to capture moments. Society and football are at a time of change and it is crucial that we fight for our rights right now. After all, they are workers’ rights, they go beyond the minimum wage. It’s about the circumstances, about treating and respecting us like professional football players. We have to fight this and this is where we are.

At Barça, you normalize the extraordinary, both in sports and social areas. Something that will gain more value over time?

Now is a key moment because many of us here have experienced change. From playing on very bad artificial turf pitches, even in the sand, to filling the Camp Nou. This change is great. It should be valued the way we value it now, and it continues to be done. We talk about it many times because it seems like we have to win championships and win every game and we’ve already seen that anyone can beat you if things aren’t done well. There is a lot of work behind everything we do every day, not just us or the “staff” in the field. There are many people working around us to do all this.

Proof of this is that Barça will play their fifth final in five years. Is there any desire?

A lot. The most important game of the season. We have more time to prepare and these two weeks are going well for us to arrive at our best. Of course, this is a finale and anything can happen in the finale.

How have you worked these days not to lose your pace?

Mentally, a Champions League final is already motivating you. And physically and tactically, we are surrounded by the best professionals, and each in his field measures to the millimeter what stimuli he should give us and how he should do it. On Saturday, we played a game against each other in order not to break this rhythm, and physical and technical-tactical stimuli were given throughout the week so that we could come in the most appropriate way and at the most appropriate time.

What do you expect from the final?

Whoever wins the most will win, as in all finals it will be a matter of detail. We’ve focused on improving all those things that haven’t been going so well throughout the season, or especially in the last few weeks. We’ve seen what they can offer us and we’ll have to execute our plan well.

A very strong team at offensive level like Chelsea.

We’re all going to have to be ten. We are in a block both offensively and defensively. We all attack, we all defend. We must be together. If they go from one, don’t go from the other. And be very precise with each pass so everything goes well.

We all attack, we all defend. We must be together.

At the individual level, you will need to defend Pajor and Popp, among others. What duel, huh?

They are long-time elite players who have taken Wolfsburg back to the Champions League final. They will be high-level duels. We should all be ten.

Two years ago, when PSG faced Barça in the semi-finals, I asked you for three special names. One, Hansen’s. You told me he was a great football player, but you didn’t know him very well. What can you tell me about him now?

I’ll talk more about the personal side because it’s clear that football is a machine. I think we have a very similar personality, he’s also a leader in and out of the locker room and always stays in the background so he’s not often considered a great player. I have a very good relationship with him, he is very hardworking and determined. I love it and it gives me so much.

And Alexia has already reopened the box. How are you?

The pointing truth is always good and more for people who play strikers. Long crippled, he’s back and slowly reinventing himself. He’s back to his level, but you have to give him your time. He shows that he is very good in training. And flagging always gives you that little dot to feel better. Alexia’s return makes us all happy with all its content.

Alexia’s return makes us all happy with everything.

What do you learn from the Turin final?

Every year we add experiences and everything is learned. We’ve had different situations this year, we’ve made more compromises and were able to move forward. Every game is different and last year we conceded very fast goals against a very clear Lyon team. Maybe that prevented us from playing our game. We will try to avoid this kind of situation at all costs, with a lack of Super Cup we could see ourselves in this contemptible context. And everything serves improvement. We knew how to move forward and I have full confidence in this team.

There was massive displacement last year and it will happen again this year.

It’s very important to us that Johan is full every weekend, that the fans react when Camp Nou opens, and that they are always present at the big events. We feel the warmth a lot. We don’t like to lose either in the game or in practice this morning. And it’s infuriating to see people turn to you so much and not give them their rewards, which is why it hurt so bad last year. Now we are in a new final and we will try again.

Did you expect such a bond with the fans when you arrived?

I don’t know if I expected this, but it didn’t surprise me. I got there when they just won the Champions League and saw how big something was developing. That was one of the reasons I came. It’s no coincidence that championships are won as stadiums fill up. They are a part of it and I am personally very grateful to them.

It’s no coincidence that championships are won as stadiums fill up. The fans are a part of it all.

We’ve seen you more daring in Catalan lately. How important is it to you to integrate with the culture of your team in this way?

Basic for me. Actually, it’s my second year and I’m already angry enough to not be fluent. Because I’m also good at languages. When I went to France, one of the first things I did was learn the language, because it immerses you a lot more in the culture, it makes relationships better, it helps you understand the people there and why different situations arise. True, there have been so many changes in my life that they did not allow me to learn as I wanted, but I am trying. I have colleagues who have helped me a lot. Gradually. Let’s see if I can give an interview in Catalan.

You made it to two finals. Does football owe you the Champions League?

Deserving is relative, there are people who work hard for something and deserve a reward and then it’s not given. If I had to evaluate everything I did, the finals I lost, I wouldn’t be able to continue playing football. I really enjoy what I do. We are now in a new final and we will need to make merit to achieve it. Both teams deserve it, but I have full confidence in my team and I believe we can succeed.