By News18
Alexia Putellas has less than fond memories of the last Women鈥檚 European Championship, when she tore a knee ligament on the eve of the tournament in England three years ago.
Things are different now as Spain gears up for Euro 2025 in Switzerland, with Putellas declaring she鈥檚 better than ever and ready to lead Spain to its first title in the competition.
鈥淚鈥檓 not going to lie, it鈥檚 a competition that I had in my sights after the injury I suffered just before the start of the last Euro,鈥 she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e been preparing for this moment for a long time and I want to enjoy it.鈥
The two-time world player of the year was coming off one of her most impressive seasons when she injured her left knee during a practice session just days before Spain鈥檚 opener at Euro 2022. This injury sidelined her for nearly a year and hampered Spain鈥檚 chances in the tournament, where it was ousted by England in the quarterfinals.
Putellas says she has made significant strides since then, even as other Spanish players like Aitana Bonmat铆 鈥 a two-time Ballon d鈥橭r winner herself 鈥 have risen to stardom.
鈥淲ithout a doubt, I鈥檓 a better Alexia,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 know myself a lot better, I know my qualities, I know what I have been working on. In the end, all the suffering makes you evolve as a person and as an athlete. I鈥檝e learned to manage the bad moments a lot better, as well as the good moments.鈥
Putellas has had another stellar season and is once again among the favourites for the world player of the year award. She excelled as Barcelona clinched the domestic treble and reached another Champions League final.
鈥淭he individual award is not something too important for me,鈥 the 31-year-old Putellas said. 鈥淏ut it would show that you鈥檝e done something good and, from where I鈥檓 coming from 鈥 from the lowest of the lowest after the injury 鈥 it would give some value to the effort that was put into the recovery. We鈥檒l see, but the most important thing is to win the Euro.鈥
Bonmat铆, who won the last two world player of the year awards, is currently facing her own challenges after falling ill with viral meningitis just a few days before Spain travelled to Switzerland for the tournament. Bonmat铆 was released from the hospital on Sunday to rejoin the national squad, but it remains unclear how much she will participate.
Spain will kick off its tournament Thursday against Portugal. The team will also face Belgium and Italy in Group B. Spain鈥檚 best result in the European tournament was a semifinals appearance in 1997.
Spain has cemented its status as a powerhouse in women鈥檚 football by winning the World Cup in 2023 and the inaugural Women鈥檚 Nations League in 2024.
However, they narrowly missed out on a medal at the Paris Olympics, losing to Brazil in the semifinals and to Germany in the bronze-medal match.
鈥淚t鈥檚 never easy to win a Euro,鈥 Putellas said. 鈥淲e need to have maximum respect toward the other nations. There are great teams participating. But we have a lot of faith in our team, and if we give our best we will be that much closer to winning.鈥
With AP Inputs